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ASKAROS  KASSIS 


THE  COPT. 


A   ROMANCE  OF  MODERN  EGYPT. 


BY 


EDWIN  DE  LEON 


LATE   U.    S.    CONSUL-GENERAL   FOR    EGYPT. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  &  CO., 

1870. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1869,  by 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  &  CO., 

i  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Dourt  of  the  United  States  in  and  for 
the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


LIPPINCOTT'S  PRESS, 
PHILADELPHIA. 


TO 

MY   FRIEND 

WILLIAM   C.   PRIME, 

OF   NEW   YORK, 

AUTHOR   OF 

"BOAT   LIFE  IN   EGYPT,"   AND   "TENT  LIFE  IN  THE  HOLY  LAND," 

WHO  OF  ALL  AMERICAN  WRITERS   HAS   MOST  THOROUGHLY 

IMBUED   HIMSELF  WITH   THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE   EAST; 

IN  MEMORY  OF  THE  MANY  PLEASANT  HOURS 

SPENT  UNDER   HIS  TENT  IN 

THE  HOLY   LAND, 


This  Photograph  of  Eastern  Life  and  Manners. 


2052380 


PREFACE. 


AS  the  East  was  the  cradle  of  the  human  race  —  the 
fountain  whence  modern  civilization  has  drawn  its 
life,  its  literature  and  its  religion ;  and  as  even  to  this 
day  it  furnishes  the  fictions  that  delight  our  childhood  — 
so,  also,  is  it  the  only  spot  left  on  the  earth's  surface, 
where  romance  enters  into  the  daily  life  of  the  people, 
and  the  dreams  of  the  Poet  ripen  into  realities. 

Haunted  by  the  memories  of  that  dreamy  land,  in 
which  I  was  so  long  a  sojourner,  I  cannot  refrain 
from  recording  and  relating  some  passages  from  an 
Eastern  life  —  the  facts  of  which,  even  without  the  color- 
ing of  romance,  would  seem  stranger  than  fiction  —  and 
weaving  them  into  the  threads  of  the  tale  now  offered  to 
the  reader. 

If  the  incidents  of  this  tale  be  not  altogether  true  of 
particular  persons,  they  yet  have  their  foundations  in 
fact;  and  many  of  the  most  startling  revelations  of 
Eastern  life  and  Eastern  habits  are  reproduced  from  the 


Vi  PREFACE. 


memory  of  the  writer,  with  the  fidelity  of  the  photo- 
graph. 

For  he  enjoyed  peculiar  facilities  and  exceptional  ad- 
vantages for  seeing  and  learning  many  things,  which 
must  ever  be  as  a  sealed  book  to  the  tourist,  or  the 
trader,  in  the  East.  His  official  position  and  long  resi- 
dence —  as  well  as  his  knowledge  of  the  language  and 
private  life  of  the  people  —  gave  him  opportunities  of 
observation,  of  which  the  fruits  are  now  displayed  in  this 
book. 

Although  a  perpetual  stream  of  tourists  pours  into  and 
through  Egypt,  each  winter  —  from  the  savant  striving 
to  decipher  hieroglyphics,  to  the  "Inquisitive  traveller," 
as  described  by  Sterne  ;  and  although  books  without  end 
have  been,  and  continue  to  be,  written  on  Egypt  —  still 
as  little  is  known  now  of  the  inner  life  and  peculiar 
mental  characteristics  of  the  modern  Egyptian,  as  of  his 
mummied  progenitors.  For  the  Oriental  is  a  type  of 
human  being  as  different  from  the  Western,  as  it  is  possi- 
ble for  the  imagination  to  conceive. 

Mr.  Lane's  book  on  "  The  Modern  Egyptians  "  proba- 
b'.y  constitutes  the  sole  exception,  as  to  the  prose  :  as 
' Eothen"  and  W.  C.  Prime's  charming  sketches  do  of 
;he  poetry  of  that  Eastern  life. 

The  Eastern  man  comes  in  contact,  but  never  amalga- 
mates with  the  Western,  for  whom  his  nature  has  no  real 
affinity  —  but  rather  repulsion — skilfully  as  he  may  adopt 


PREFACE.  VI) 

at  Stamboul,  or  Alexandria,  the  outward  usages  of  Euro- 
pean civilization. 

He  adopts  these  as  he  does  its  dress  —  wears  it  in 
public,  but  casts  it  off  in  private  with  a  sigh  of  relief — re- 
suming his  own  more  easy  habits,  which  he  has  simply 
put  by,  not  relinquished. 

The  traveller  and  the  stranger  see  him  only  in  full 
dress.  It  is  only  long  and  intimate  acquaintance  that 
admits  of  his  being  seen  in  dishabille. 

Two  things  color  the  whole  woof  and  web  of  Eastern 
society  —  the  fatalism  of  "Islam,"  which  permeates  and 
blends  with  every  act  of  its  daily  life  —  and  the  isolation 
of  the  Hareem,  which  establishes  the  social  position  of 
woman. 

The  influences  of  both  are  depicted  in  this  book.  The 
fatalism  which  governs  Islam,  is  already  vaguely  under- 
stood abroad;  but  the  position  of  woman  in  the  East 
and  her  actual  life  there,  have  never  been  compre- 
hended ;  the  hitherto  impenetrable  veil  of  the  Hareem 
having  shrouded  its  secrets. 

It  was  reserved  for  the  hand  of  the  poet  first  to  raise 
that  veil;  and  in  the  "Palm  Leaves"  of  Richard 
Monckton  Milnes,  may  be  found  the  first  true  pictures 
of  the  inner  life  of  the  Orient  ever  given  in  the  English 
tongue  —  as  Gcethe's  "  West-  CEstlicher  Divan  "  gave  it 
in  the  German  many  years  ago.  Truly  does  the  poet  of 
the  ' '  Palm  Leaves ' '  sing  of  woman  in  the  East ;  who, 


viii  PREFACE, 

like  her  sister  in  the  West— though  in  a  different  shape  — 
wields  a  power  over  the  destiny  of  man  : 

"Thus  ever  in  the  closed  Hareem, 
As  in  the  open  Western  home, 
Sheds  womanhood  her  starry  gleam, 
Over  our  being's  busy  foam ; 
Through  latitudes  of  varying  faith, 
Thus  trace  we  still  her  mission  sure  — 
To  lighten  life  —  to  sweeten  death  — 
And  all  for  others  to  endure." 

The  realities  of  the  East  are  stranger  than  the  dreams 
of  the  West ;  and  yet,  since  the  prose  extravaganza  of 
"  Vathek"  and  the  poetical  rhapsodies  of  Lord  Byron  — 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago  —  that  rich  field 
has  been  neglected  by  poet  and  novelist  alike. 

From  that  garden,  then,  let  us  cull  a  few  flowers ;  and 
let  the  reader  —  taking  a  seat  upon  the  magical  carpet  of 
the  Persian  Prince,  of  the  "  Thousand  and  One  Nights1' 
—  be  transported  to  the  world-famous  city  of  Old  Cairo, 
where  our  story  opens.  — Inshallah! 

E.  DE  L. 

NEW  YORK,  December,  1869. 


PA81 

CHAPTER  I. 
GRAND  CAIRO 13 

CHAPTER  II. 

ON  THE  EZBEKIEH 26 

CHAPTER  III. 
THE  SERPENT  CHARM 39 

CHAPTER  IV. 
A  DINNER  X  LA  TURQUE 49 

CHAPTER  V. 
AN  EGYPTIAN  VICEROY  IN  PUBLIC 64 

CHAPTER  VI. 
THE  VICEROY  IN  PRIVATE 74 

CHAPTER  VII. 
HAWK  AND  DOVE 86 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  HAREEM  OF  THE  PRINCESS  NEZL£  .        .        .        .        .    99 

ix 


x  CONTENTS. 

PAG» 

CHAPTER  IX. 
UP  THE  NILE  IN  A  DAHABIEH    ..-••• 

CHAPTER  X. 

I2C 

PERIL  AND  RESCUE        .        .        • 

CHAPTER  XI. 
THE  BULBUL  AND  THE  ROSE      ......      X33 

CHAPTER  XII. 
NEW  LOVE  AT  OLD  LUXOR    .......  X49 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
A  NEW  FRIEND  WITH  AN  OLD  FACE  .....      l6° 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
THE  COPT  AND  THE  HEBREW        ......  l67 

CHAPTER  XV. 
THE  WILD  DOGS        ........       Z77 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
THE  TIGER  TAMER         .......        '  l89 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
WARNING  AND  FLIGHT       .......      2°4 

CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  OLD  COPT'S  SIESTA        .......  2I1 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
A  RACE  WITH  THE  KHAMSEEN  WIND        .        .  .      216 

CHAPTER  XX. 
THE  MODERN  FAUST      ........  22% 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
UNDER  THE  TENTS  OF  THE  BENI-HASSAN    ....      240 


CONTENTS.  XI 

PAGB 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
THE  BRIDE  OF  THE  SEA 254 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

MOUSSA-BEN-ISRAEL 265 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
THE  VICEROY  PAYS  THE  SYRIAN 280 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
"  THE  OLD,  OLD  STORY  " 289 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
THE  VULTURE  SCENTS  HIS  PREY 295 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 
THE  CEREMONY  OF  THE  DOSEH 304 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
THE  SEARCH  THROUGH  THE  NIGHT 314 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
DAOUD-BEN-YOUSSOUF 322 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
THE  DOVE  IN  THE  VULTURE'S  NEST 336 

CHAPTER   XXXI. 
THE  MAD-HOUSE  OF  THE  MAURISTAN        ....      350 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 
A  STRANGE  FRIEND  IN  A  STRANGE  PLACE      ....  366 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
THE  LOST  MESSENGER 379 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
"  A  LITTLE  MORE  THAN  KIN  AND  LESS  THAN  KIND       .        .  385 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

tttm 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

THE  SWOOP  OF  THE  VULTURE    .        .        .        .        .        .      394 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

ORZMUD  AND  AHRIMAN  .        .        .     • 403 

v 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
EL  WARDA'S  SACRIFICE 412 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 
THE  HAWK  STRIKES  THE  VULTURE 423 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
THE  DEAD  MAN'S  RIDE     ...  ...      434 

CHAPTER  XL. 
EL  WARDA'S  VIGIL 444 

CHAPTER  XLI. 
THE  SYRIAN'S  REWARD  ACI 


ASKAROS  KASSIS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

GRAND    CAIRO. 

IT  was  evening  at  Grand  Cairo,  in  the  month  of  De- 
cember ;  such  an  evening  as  the  residents  in  colder 
climes  may  have  fancied,  but  never  felt.  Breezes  as 
soft  and  bland  as  those  of  spring  whispered  among  the 
feathery  foliage  of  the  palm-trees.  A  soft,  summery 
haze  was  settling  down  upon  the  distant  range  of  the 
Mokattam  hills,  which  alone  broke  the  monotony  of 
the  view  over  the  surrounding  Desert. 

Clearly  and  sharply  defined  through  the  lucid  air,  in 
bold  relief  against  the  cloudless  azure  of  the  sky,  rose 
the  sharp  cones  of  the  Pyramids — pointing  like  giant 
fingers  to  heaven,  stately  and  sublime  in  their  severe  sim- 
plicity— sole  record  left  of  the  great  Pharaohs,  whose 
pride  had  constructed  them  as  places  of  sepulture. 

Winding  like  a  golden  thread  between  the  city  and 
Great  Desert — fringed  with  its  stately  palms,  and  bor- 
dered by  palaces  whose  latticed  windows  concealed  many 


I4  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

a  fairy-like  form— glittered  the  waters  of  the  Nile — 
Father  of  Rivers  — not  only  the  great  fertilizer  of  the 
land  of  Egypt,  but  the  object  of  the  love  and  veneration 
of  her  imaginative  people,  who  find  saving  virtues  for 
soul  and  body  in  its  yellow  waters. 

The  Desert,  like  a  great  sea  with  its  ever-restless  waves 
of  shifting  sand,  stretched  out  its  vast  billows  beyond  the 
Pyramids  to  the  far-distant  horizon,  as  though  repelled 
alone  from  whelming  the  city  under  a  sand  deluge  by 
those  mighty  sentinels — which,  with  the  Sphinx,  stand 
keeping  watch  and  ward  over  the  fair  "City  of  the 
Faithful." 

Within  Cairo  rose,  shrill  and  frequent,  on  the  evening 
air,  all  those  indescribable  cries  and  sounds  of  man  and 
beast  which  make  Eastern  so  different  from  Western 
cities — which  cause  Eastern  life  to  appear  so  vivid  and 
so  varied,  after  the  hushed  repose  of  noonday,  when, 
in  those  fervid  climes,  both  man  and  nature  seem  steeped 
in  profound  sleep. 

"When  the  sun  goes  down  all  Africa  dances,"  said 
an  old  traveller.  He  might  have  said,  "All  Africa 
awakens ; "  for  dancing  is  not  considered  there  a  mascu- 
line accomplishment,  but  rather  regarded  as  an  infamous 
employment. 

In  the  very  heart  of  old  Cairo  stands  a  huge  park, 
several  hundred  acres  in  area,  planted  with  acacias  and 
other  shade  trees,  filled  with  flowering  shrubs,  and  inter- 
sected by  long  avenues  and  winding  footpaths.  Rustic 
seats  are  scattered  everywhere  through  it;  and  coffee- 
houses proffer  their  refreshment  of  nargileh,  chibouque, 
coffee,  sherbet,  and  lemonade  to  its  many  pleasure- 
seekers.  This  is  "The  Ezbekich,"  the  public  prome- 
nade of  the  citizens,  native  and  foreign — a  people  as 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  15 

gay,  after  their  own  fashion,  as  the  Parisians,  and  quite 
as  much  addicted  to  enjoyment  in  the  open  air. 

Around  ' '  The  Ezbekieh ' '  are  grouped  the  houses  of 
the  European  quarter,  for  most  of  the  foreigners  reside 
in  its  vicinity.  Here,  too,  are  the  great  hotels  for  the 
accommodation  of  tourists  from  Europe,  and  of  passengers 
to  and  from  India,  who  pass  through  Egypt  to  the  number 
of  several  thousand  each  month,  and  make  it  a  Babel  of 
tongues  and  nationalities  while  the  transit  pours  through. 

At  one  of  the  open  windows  of  the  "  Hotel d1  Orient" 
— the  best  and  largest  of  these  hotels  —  there  stood  on 
this  particular  evening  a  group  of  strangers,  apparently 
watching  with  amused  and  curious  interest  the  panoramic 
view  of  desert,  sky,  mountain,  and  pyramid  in  the  dis- 
tance, and  of  the  varied,  many-hued,  and  pictorial  cur- 
rent of  life  in  the  street  below. 

The  party  consisted  of  a  man  of  middle  age,  with 
portly  figure  and  ruddy,  open  face,  whose  florid  com- 
plexion, clear  blue  eyes,  and  square-built  frame  indicated 
Teutonic  origin;  though,  in  fact,  he  was  an  American 
citizen  by  birth  as  well  as  nationality. 

Cornelius  Van  Camp  was  a  fine  specimen  of  that 
species,  now  almost  extinct  in  America,  a  genuine  Knick- 
erbocker. His  blood  yet  ran  slowly  and  coolly  through 
his  veins — not  at  that  mad  gallop  with  which  it  circulates 
through  those  of  Young  America,  who  eats  fast,  drinks 
fast,  lives  fast,  and  dies  very  fast,  indeed.  To  look  upon 
him,  one  might  see  he  was  a  solid  man  in  all  respects ;  in 
mind  as  in  body  —  a  trifle  obstinate,  perhaps,  yet  thor- 
oughly reliable. 

Near  him  stood  a  young  man  and  a  young  girl,  in 
both  of  whom  could  be  traced  a  strong  family  likeness  to 
their  portly  progenitor,  though  sharpened  into  American 


1 6  ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS. 

angularity  in  the  first  instance,  and  softened  into  rare 
womanly  loveliness  in  the  second.  A  tall  man,  of  aris- 
tocratic face  and  mien,  whose  costume  and  long  yellow 
whiskers — no  less  than  the  many  straps  that  crossed  and 
recrossed  his  chest,  supporting  spy-glass  and  all  the  other 
paraphernalia  of  a  British  tourist— spoke  him  unmistakably 
an  Englishman,  lounged  against  the  window-sill,  appa- 
rently more  occupied  in  gazing  on  the  fair  face  near  him 
than  on  the  strange  sights  and  scenes  beneath. 

Another  female  figure  completed  the  group;  and  it 
was  one  that  contrasted  strikingly  with  the  fresh  and 
youthful  loveliness  of  the  girl,  whose  arm  was  around 
her  waist.  For  this  lady  was  neither  young  nor  lovely ; 
and  there  was  little  freshness  and  roundness  in  her  face, 
or  person.  On  the  contrary,  she  was  angular  and  bony, 
with  high,  severe  features,  and  a  sour  expression  of  coun- 
tenance— her  prominent  and  beady  black  eyes  concen- 
trating their  rays  to  a  focus  through  a  pair  of  large  round 
glasses  set  in  steel  frames.  Those  eyes  seemed  to  look 
out  scornfully  and  suspiciously  on  all  external  objects ; 
while  the  erect  rigidity  of  the  spare  form  and  the  pursed- 
up  expression  of  the  pinched  lips  indicated  a  protracted 
spinsterhood,  which  man  delighted  not  nor  woman  nei- 
ther. She  looked,  as  she  was,  the  maiden  aunt  of  the 
fair  young  girl — professor  of  one  of  the  sternest  creeds 
and  possessor  of  one  of  the  stiffest  spines  in  all  unbend- 
ing New  England.  She  was  a  strong-minded  woman  of 
the  purest  Boston  school,  which  takes  its  metaphysics 
from  Emerson,  its  morals  from  Theodore  Parker,  its 
manners  from  the  Puritan  Fathers ;  and  which  finally 
considers  there  can  be  no  salvation  outside  of  New  Eng- 
land! 

Such  was  Miss  Priscilla  Primmins,  who  on  this  bright 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  IJ 

evening  stood,  an  unconscious  foil,  by  the  side  of  her 
blooming  young  relative,  looking  down  with  grim,  de- 
fiant austerity  on  the  lively  scenes  below. 

And  yet  it  required  a  mind  severely  schooled,  to  avoid 
being  interested  and  fascinated  by  the  combination  of  the 
gorgeous  and  grotesque  in  the  strange  panorama  defiling 
through  the  narrow  streets  beneath  the  window,  and 
winding  away  among  the  alleys  and  avenues  of  the  Ezbe- 
kieh.  Nor  were  the  sounds  less  varied  than  the  sights ; 
from  the  deep,  grunting  bass  of  the  complaining  camel, 
to  the  resonant  bray  of  the  donkey;  the  hoarse,  guttural 
imprecations  of  the  Arab  men,  and  the  shrill,  shrieking 
treble  of  the  donkey  boys;  with  the  occasional  passage 
of  a  marriage  or  funeral  procession,  followed  by  singing 
or  wailing  women.  Ever  and  anon  the  advent  of  some 
Egyptian  noble  would  be  announced  by  the  running  sa't's, 
or  groom,  clearing  the  way  in  advance  for  his  Arab  steed, 
by  loud  cries  of  "  Oa  yer  Ragl !  Oa  yer  Bint! ' ' —  (Get 
out  of  the  way,  O  man !  Get  out  of  the  way,  O  woman  !)  . 
— accompanied  by  sharp  strokes  of  the  stick  he  carried, 
if  the  warning  were  unheeded. 

Jostling  each  other  on  the  narrow  streets  were  the 
most  incongruous  medleys  of  humanity  —  Dives  and 
Lazarus :  the  haughty  Egyptian  Bey,  or  Pasha,  on  his 
fiery  Arab,  with  housings  of  cloth  of  gold,  and  bridle 
gleaming  with  precious  stones,  side  by  side  with  the 
Fellah  peasant,  perched  like  a  monkey  on  his  small 
donkey ;  or  the  Arab  woman  straddling  the  same  useful 
but  humble  animal,  man-fashion,  her  knees  almost 
reaching  her  nose,  her  figure  wrapped  like  a  bundle  in  a 
black  silk  cloak  —  only  two  glittering  eyes  visible  through 
the  impervious  veil.  Then  would  follow  a  long  train  of 
hideous,  spectral-looking  camels ;  the  tail  of  each  tied  to 
2*  B 


18  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

the  nose  of  his  successor — their  soft,  shapeless  splay  feet 
resembling  huge  sponges,  and  making  no  sound  as  they 
filed  past,  with  their  long,  crooked  necks  and  serpent- 
like  heads  swaying  from  side  to  side. 

Next  in  the  midst  of  this  swaying,  surging  tide  might 
be  seen  the  sturdy  form  of  some  British  tourist,  perched 
on  a  donkey,  almost  small  enough  to  permit  the  rider's 
legs  to  drag  on  the  ground,  and  followed  by  the  yelling 
donkey-boy,  clad  in  his  scant  blue  shirt,  and  crying 
aloud  in  Arabic,  to  the  infinite  amusement  of  the  natives: 
"Son  of  a  jackass,  ridden  by  the  son  of  a  jackass,  go 
faster  !  "  Meanwhile  the  unconscious  traveller  is  blandly 
trustful,  and  dreams  of  no  insult  from  the  small  offender 
he  imagines  in  terrible  awe  of  him. 

The  young  girl  turned  her  bright  eyes,  full  of  animated 
interest,  upon  the  elder  maiden,  as  she  exclaimed : 

"  Oh,  aunt !  is  not  this  wonderful  ?  Does  it  not  look 
to  you  like  a  page  torn  from  the  Arabian  Nights  ?  Why, 
these  are  the  very  people  there  described  —  the  one-eyed 
water-carrier,  the  veiled  woman,  the  old  story-teller  under 
the  tree,  and  the  wicked  black  man  from  the  Hareem  !  " 

The  rigid  face  of  Miss  Priscilla  Primmins  grew  more 
rigid  still  as  the  young  Edith  thus  appealed  to  her,  and, 
in  a  voice  which  corresponded  with  her  face,  she  coldly 
answered  : 

"  I  think  it  a  very  improper  spectacle  to  let  a  young 
lady's  eyes  rest  upon,  Edith  !  And  I  only  wonder  that 
a  man  of  your  father's  good  sense  should  permit  you  to 
witness  such  indecent  exposures  of  person  as  these  people 
make  habitually  !  It  may  all  be  very  picturesque,  but  I 
know  in  Boston  we  should  consider  it  highly  indecent. 
Improper  sights  and  bad  smells  seem  to  me  the  leading 
characteristics  of  Cairo." 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  ig 

"  But,  my  dear  aunt !  "  persisted  the  younger  woman, 
who  was  determined  not  to  share  the  fate  of  Cleopatra's 
pearl,  and  be  dissolved  in  the  vinegar  of  her  acid  rela- 
tive, "you  must  own  that  it  is  totally  unlike  any  other 
place,  or  people,  in  the  world  :  that  it  is  a  gay  and  glit- 
tering pageant,  not  entirely  composed  of  the  unpleasant 
things  you  mention.  Oh !  look  there,  for  instance ! 
See  that  group  of  Fellah  men  and  women  under  the 
palm-tree,  listening  to  the  old  story-teller.  Is  not  that 
truly  Oriental?  And  it's  not  the  least  improper  !  " 

"Very  Oriental,  no  doubt,"  grumbled  the  spinster. 
"  Half-naked  savages  squatting  in  a  circle,  and  smoking 
filthy  pipes  that  poison  the  air!  Sir  Charles,"  ad- 
dressing the  Englishman,  "what  do  yoii  think  of  these 
Arabs  my  niece  so  raves  about  ? ' ' 

"Rum  lot  of  beggars!"  growled  the  Englishman, 
languidly.  Then,  rousing  himself  by  an  effort,  he 
added :  ' '  Creatures  that  possess  all  the  disagreeable 
qualities  of  the  monkey,  without  the  useful  addition  of 
being  able  to  swing  from  a  tree  by  the  tail.  I  have 
served  in  India,  and  know  the  Blackies  well.  All  the 
same  —  everywhere. ' ' 

Now  Miss  Priscilla  —  albeit  a  staunch  republican  in 
theory  —  adored  a  live  lord  with  that  strange  inconsist- 
ency common  to  our  countrymen  and  women  abroad. 
Still,  she  felt  it  incumbent  upon  her  to  repel  the  English- 
man's views  upon  the  "man  and  brother"  whom  Boston 
delighted  to  honor  —  so  she  made  a  feeble  protest: 

"I  fear,  my  lord,  you  are  prejudiced  against  the 
African  !  If  you  will  but  read  — 

"A  thousand  pardons!"  hastily  broke  in  his  lord- 
ship; "I  plead  guilty,  bow  to  the  judgment  of  the 
court,  and  will  admit  that  you  have  '  washed  the  Ethiop 


2O  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

white ! '  —  for   really  this   climate   is   too   hot   for   any 
mental  effort." 

The  ancient  maiden  smiled  grimly,  retired  from  the 
window,  took  up  a  volume  of  Orphic  Sayings  of  Alcott, 
and  abstracted  herself  from  the  contemplation  of  the 
improper  external  world.  Sir  Charles  glided  into  the 
place  she  had  left  vacant,  and,  with  a  faint  smile,  said 
to  Edith  : 

"  I  thought  the  enemy  would  retire  before  my  assault 
on  the  strong  position ;  but  you  must  not  imagine  I  am 
insensible  to  the  influences  of  this  place  and  hour,  nor ' ' 
—  and  his  voice  softened  —  "to  that  of  her  who  lends  it 
its  greatest  charm  by  her  presence. ' ' 

"Positively  a  compliment  from  Sir  Charles  the 
Cynic!"  laughed  Edith.  "Wonder  upon  wonder  !  I 
shall  nearly  begin  to  believe  in  Egyptian  magic  next ! ' ' 
"Say  rather  in  American,"  replied  her  companion, 
adopting  her  own  tone  of  banter.  "But  I  must  tear 
myself  away,  for  I  see  your  brother  Harry  is  impatient 
to  be  off  to  the  Bazaars.  We  pledged  ourselves  to  a 
solemn  old  Arab  merchant  to  repair  at  sunset  to  smoke 
pipes  with  him  and  select  some  trash.  So,  au  revoir  !" 
The  two  young  men  left  the  room  together ;  the  elder 
Van  Camp  had  thrown  himself  at  full  length  on  an  otto- 
man in  the  corner,  and  was  thinking  —  accompanied  by 
a  running  bass  from  his  nostrils.  The  ancient  spinster 
was  absorbed  with  Orphic  utterances,  with  her  back  to 
the  girl.  Edith  remained  alone  at  the  window,  her 
arms  resting  on  the  cushion  that  covered  the  sill,  and 
her  eyes  sometimes  fixed  on  the  scene  below,  sometimes 
wandering  over  the  distant  prospect  of  palm-trees,  pyra- 
mids, river,  and  desert.  There  was  nothing  sad  or 
troubled  in  the  reveries  into  which  she  plunged  as  the 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  21 

sun  set  and  the  crowds  on  the  street  dwindled  into  an 
occasional  passer-by ;  for  very  fresh  looked  she  in  her 
young  loveliness,  evidently  "in  maiden  meditation, 
fancy-free." 

The  quick  tramp  of  a  horse  on  the  street  below  her 
window,  followed  by  the  cry  of  a  running  sa'is,  "  Oa  ! 
Oa/"  startled  her  from  her  revery.  Glancing  down, 
she  saw  as  gallant  a  cavalier  as  ever  won  bright  glances 
from  the  eyes  or  sweet  words  from  the  lips  of  ladye 
faire  in  the  good  days  of  chivalry ;  and  once  having 
looked,  her  gaze  was  attracted  and  riveted  to  its  object. 
The  cavalier  was  a  man  in  the  first  bloom  of  youth,  who 
sat  his  magnificent  white  Arab  charger  with  an  easy 
grace  that  spoke  of  perfect  horsemanship.  He  was 
richly  clad  in  the  Eastern  dress ;  but  the  unshaven  head 
— over  which,  however,  he  wore  the  red  Fez  cap  —  pro- 
claimed him  to  be  no  Mussulman.  The  rich  housings 
of  his  Turkish  saddle,  and  the  precious  stones  that  orna- 
mented the  bridle  and  headstall,  proved  him  to  be  a 
personage  of  rank  and  wealth  ;  a  fact  equally  announced 
by  the  air  of  command  stamped  on  his  face  and  person. 

The  sa'is,  a  Berberi,  black  as  night,  with  his  bare 
ebony  legs  lithe  and  sinewy  as  those  of  a  greyhound  — 
clad  in  a  white  shirt,  with  a  crimson  sash  tied  round  his 
waist,  and  a  snowy  turban  on  his  head,  waved  in  his 
hand  a  short  staff,  with  which  he  struck  out  right  and 
left  to  clear  the  way  for  his  master. 

As  the  long,  swinging  stride  of  the  Arab  horse  bore 
his  rider  under  the  window  of  the  hotel,  the  latter 
chanced  to  look  carelessly  up,  and  as  his  glance  fell  on 
the  bright  countenance  of  the  American  girl — so  marked 
in  such  a  place  —  he  revealed  his  own  face,  which  was  in 
perfect  harmony  with  his  graceful  figure  and  rich  cos- 


22  ASKAROS    K ASS  IS. 

tume.  For  that  face  was  one  on  which  painter  or  sculp- 
tor would  have  gazed  with  rapture  as  a  fitting  model  for 
the  young  Antinous,  so  perfect  was  the  outline  of  the 
clear-cut  delicate  features,  relieved  by  the  resolute  ex- 
pression of  the  mouth,  and  the  calm  serenity  of  the  eye. 
Though  young  and  beardless,  save  a  slight  silken 
moustache,  the  impress  of  passion,  tempered  by  thought, 
was  already  stamped  on  the  broad  brow  and  the  lines 
about  the  corners  of  the  mouth.  His  complexion  was 
darker  than  that  of  a  European  —  a  rich,  clear  olive, 
through  which  the  blood  seemed  to  glow,  like  light 
through  an  alabaster  lamp ;  while  the  lips  were  as  deli- 
cately chiselled  and  of  as  ripe  a  red  as  those  of  a  woman. 

The  gloved  hand  with  which  he  restrained  the  fiery 
impatience  of  his  steed,  who  chafed  and  fretted  like  a 
stag-hound  preparing  for  a  bound,  seemed  equally  deli- 
cate and  muscular.  The  proportions  of  his  figure  were 
concealed  below  the  waist  by  the  ample  Turkish  trow- 
sers,  falling  in  heavy  folds  even  to  the  shovel  stirrup 
that  concealed  his  foot ;  but  it  was  easy  to  see  that  the 
frame,  at  once  slight  and  supple,  was  firmly  knit  and 
capable  of  great  endurance. 

But  the  character  of  the  face  was  given  by  the  eye  — 
large,  black,  and  lustrous,  with  slumbering  depths  of  un- 
revealed  passion  lurking  in  it.  Now  liquid  with  tender- 
ness, now  flashing  with  anger  or  mirth,  the  white  pos- 
sessing that  peculiar  opaque  hue,  like  porcelain,  seen 
only  in  the  eyes  of  Eastern  men,  and  the  iris  contracting 
and  dilating  like  that  of  the  lion— there  seemed  a  hidden 
fascination  in  the  glance  of  this  stranger  that  sent  a  sud- 
den thrill  through  the  fearless  bosom  of  the  young  girl. 

Equally  strong  seemed  the  impression  produced  on 
the  Oriental  by  this  lovely  apparition,  so  different  from 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  23 

his  own  dusky  countrywomen  —  set,  as  it  were,  in  the 
stone  framework  of  the  window.  By  an  involuntary 
movement,  his  contracted  arm  curbed  in  his  steed  so 
suddenly  and  so  sharply,  that  the  powerful  Turkish  bit 
tore  open  his  delicate  mouth  until  blood  flecked  the 
foam  he  champed  upon  it  as  he  recoiled  upon  his  very 
haunches.  The  rider  kept  his  seat,  unmoved  by  the 
sudden  and  violent  shock,  but  relaxed  the  rein  to  relieve 
the  tortured  mouth.  Maddened  by  the  pain  and  by  the 
sudden  check,  the  gallant  horse,  snorting  with  wrath  till 
his  dilated  nostrils  glowed  to  a  bright  red,  bounded 
straight  up  into  the  air,  and,  by  a  succession  of  rapid, 
frantic  plunges,  sought  to  displace  his  rider. 

The  struggle  was  violent  but  brief.  Vain  were  all  the 
efforts  of  the  furious  steed  to  unseat  his  tormentor,  who 
inflicted  punishment  on  flanks  and  sides  with  the  sharp 
shovel  stirrups,  and  wrenched  his  mouth  with  the  terri- 
ble bit,  till  the  desert-born,  panting,  trembling  and  ex- 
hausted, abandoned  the  unequal  contest  and  stood  quiv- 
ering in  every  limb,  but  perfectly  still,  his  eye  glaring 
with  mingled  rage  and  fear.  Then  the  rider  spoke  a 
few  soothing  words  in  Arabic,  and  patted  the  arched 
neck  of  his  favorite  as  though  in  reconciliation,  and  the 
noble  beast  seemed  to  recognize  the  friendly  overture 
and  acknowledge  it.  With  the  nearly  human  intelli- 
gence with  which  the  pure-blooded  Arab  horse  seems 
endowed,  he  turned  his  head  toward  his  master  in  a 
mute  response,  then  stood  quiet  and  still,  as  if  carved 
from  stone. 

With  the  flush  of  exertion  and  excitement  hardly 
dying  from  his  face,  and  still  lingering  in  his  eye,  the 
rider  once  more  glanced  up  at  the  casement,  and  their 
eyes  met;  his,  full  of  admiring  wonder — hers,  full  of  an 


24  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

interest  and  sympathy  that  brightened  the  usually  calm 
face  into  a  glory  like  that  of  one  of  Correggio's  saints. 
That  electric  spark  of  sympathy,  which  can  sometimes 
flash  through  the  eye  from  one  soul  to  another  in  a 
second's  space,  ineffaceable,  enduring,  eternal  —  rapid 
and  subtle  as  the  lightning's  flash,  and  sometimes  as 
blasting  —  passed  now  between  these  two  existences,  but 
a  moment  before  utterly  unknown  to  each  other  —  even 
now  strangers.  A  look,  a  glance,  a  moment's  vision  — 
how  one  of  these  may  alter  the  whole  current  of  a  life, 
opening  fountains  of  bright  or  bitter  memories  all  sealed 
before  !  For  in  every  human  experience  can  be  found, 
the  truth,  that  the  great  heart-quakes  of  our  lives  have 
been  preceded  by  some  such  trivial  incident,  unregarded 
at  the  time,  yet  really  the  harbinger  of  the  new  soul- 
birth. 

From  the  large  luminous  eyes  of  the  Oriental  there 
flashed  upon  the  maiden  a  glance  full  of  fire  and  wonder — 
of  open,  undisguised  admiration,  but  still  not  disrespect- 
ful. Then,  with  one  word  to  his  steed,  the  impatient 
animal  bounded  forward  like  a  deer,  and  both  horse  and 
rider  were  lost  to  the  maiden's  gaze,  in  the  shadows  of 
the  fast-falling  night. 

Edith  Van  Camp  was  not  at  all  what  is- called  a  roman- 
tic girl.  She  was  not  prone  to  indulge  in  foolish  fancies, 
or  idle  dreams,  for  her  organization,  mental  and  physical, 
was  too  healthy,  and  her  Dutch  blood  and  American 
training  had  not  been  the  nurses  of  sentimentalism.  She 
piqued  herself  upon  her  common  sense ;  and  had  laughed 
off,  hitherto,  all  attempts  to  awaken  the  poetic  and  dreamy 
element  slumbering  in  her  nature. 

She  therefore  felt  annoyed  and  irritated  at  the  strange 
fascination  she  had  experienced  from  the  momentary 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  25 

presence  and  startling  glance  of  the  stranger;  and  still, 
as  she  strained  her  eyes  after  horse  and  rider  under  the 
dim  shadows  of  the  trees  of  the  Ezbekieh,  she  murmured 
to  herself  half  unconsciously  : 

' '  He  is  like  my  girlish  dreams  of  Haroun  al  Raschid  ! ' ' 

Just  then  from  the  high  minaret  of  the  mosque  El 
Aksar,  near  the  hotel,  suddenly  pealed  out  on  the  still- 
ness of  the  night  the  warning  cry  of  the  Muezzin,  floating 
down  through  the  quiet  air  like  a  prophetic  voice  from 
heaven:  "  Allah  il Allah!  Mohammed resoul Allah!" — 
(There  is  no  God  but  God  !  and  Mohammed  is  the 
messenger  of  God.) 

It  startled  the  girl  from  her  revery.  Though  con- 
scious no  eye  was  upon  her,  with  a  bright  blush  she  smiled 
faintly  at  her  own  fancies ;  then  frowned  impatiently  to 
herself  as  she  muttered  :  "  I  do  believe  there  is  magic  in 
this  climate  ! ' ' 

Passing  within  the  chamber,  she  proceeded  to  rouse 
from  his  meditations  her  refreshed  sire,  whose  nasal 
melodies  were  now  on  the  trombone  ;  and  her  respected 
aunt,  whom  Orphic  sayings  had  reduced  to  a  perform- 
ance on  a  shriller  but  similar  instrument. 
3 


CHAPTER    II. 

ON    THE   EZBEKIEH. 

WHO"  that  has  ever  passed  a  night  in  Cairo  can  fail 
to  recall  the  memories  of  the  Ezbekieh,  and  the 
glimpses  into  fairy-land  it  gave  him?  Who  can  forget 
that  enchanted  spot,  so  thoroughly  Oriental  in  all  its 
features  and  surroundings — so  thoroughly  steeped  in  the 
drowsy,  sensual  spirit  of  the  East? 

The  streets  are  silent  and  deserted ;  the  hum  of  labor 
has  ceased  ;  the  houses  are  all  closed,  and  a  few  twink- 
ling lights  from  the  lattices  alone  indicate  that  this  vast 
hive  of  humanity,  with  its  half  million  of  inhabitants,  is 
not  a  City  of  the  Dead.  For  the  shops  are  all  closed, 
and  the  prowling  wild  dogs  alone  traverse  the  narrow, 
deserted  streets,  so  thronged  with  eager,  noisy  life  a  few 
hours  before.  Occasionally  a  solitary  wayfarer,  bearing 
a  paper  lantern  in  his  hand  to  light  his  way  through  the 
dark  and  crooked  streets,  may  be  seen  hurrying  home  ; 
otherwise,  they  are  empty. 

One  spot  alone  is  full  of  light  and  life,  and  that  is  the 
Ezbekieh.  There  all  is  gayety  and  animation.  Innumer- 
able lamps,  of  varied  colors,  hang  suspended  from  the 
trees  and  in  front  of  the  coffee-houses,  which  are  driving 
a  roaring  trade  in  coffee,  sherbet,  lemonade,  confection- 

26 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  2/ 

ery,  and  pipes.  Crowds  of  people  of  every  nationality 
are  strolling  up  and  down  the  leafy  walks,  or  sitting  on 
the  chairs  and  benches  in  front  of  the  chief  coffee-houses, 
where  small,  round  tables  are  placed  for  the  refreshments 
ordered.  The  bubbling  of  the  water-pipes,  or  nargilehs, 
makes  a  peculiar  music  ;  the  amber  mouth-pieces  of 
chibouques  are  pressed  by  bearded  lips  of  Turk,  Arab, 
and  Christian ;  while  the  foreign  fair  ones,  who  are  out 
in  full  force,  do  not  disdain  to  smoke  cigarettes  in  the 
intervals  of  conversation  and  flirtation ;  for  the  foreign 
element  at  Cairo — though  not  so  large  at  that  time  as  at 
present — numbered  then  some  four  or  five  thousand 
persons,  chiefly  Greeks  and  Italians,  but  intermixed  with 
every  continental  nationality.  All  of  these,  as  old  resi- 
dents, had  contracted  many  of  the  strange  habitudes  of 
the  country. 

The  Eastern  man  is  the  most  tolerant  of  human  beings, 
so  that  every  individual  there  could  indulge  his  own 
peculiarity  of  costume  or  manners,  without  remark  ;  and 
the  mtlange  on  the  Ezbekieh,  therefore,  was  something 
most  curious  to  contemplate.  Independent  of  the  Euro- 
pean residents,  and  the  swarm  of  tourists,  Egypt  itself 
numbers  no  less  than  sixteen  different  races  among  its 
native  and  transplanted  population.  Each  one  of  these 
is  distinguished  by  some  peculiarity  of  costume  or  of 
manner.  There  you  saw  men  of  all  shades  of  color, 
different  types  of  race  and  variety  of  costume,  from  the 
half-naked  Fellah,  or  peasant,  the  stark-naked  Santon,  or 
Saint,  the  richly-clad  Turk,  and  the  straight-laced  E^uro- 
pean,  all  blent,  mingled,  and  fused  together,  under  the 
leafy  canopy,  sipping  coffee,  smoking,  and  swallowing 
sherbets,  as  they  lounged  up  and  down,  conversing  to- 
gether in  a  perfect  Babel  of  blended  tongues  of  every 
known  dialect  of  Eastern  and  Western  language. 


28  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

Here  native  jugglers  were  performing  wonderful  feats 
of  sleight  of  hand,  or  strength,  swallowing  live  snakes, 
and  piercing  themselves  with  sharp  knives.  A  little 
farther  on  a  blind  old  man  was  beating  furiously  on  a  drum 
of  fish-skin,  and  a  wild-eyed  Arab  girl  twanged  with  her 
dusky  fingers  a  darabuka,  or  rude  guitar,  droning  a  monot- 
onous chant  to  the  accompaniment,  while  a  dancing-girl 
exhibited  graceful  but  most  lascivious  postures — far  out- 
stripping the  modern  ballet,  over  which  hang  enraptured 
now  the  fashionables  both  of  Europe  and  America. 

Crouched  on  the  ground  is  the  old  story-teller,  re- 
hearsing for  the  thousandth  time  some  rude  version  of 
the  Arabian  Nights'  Entertainments,  to  a  circle  of  half- 
naked  peasants,  squatted  on  their  hams  around  him  — 
moving  them  alternately  to  laughter  and  to  tears.  Sol- 
diers in  the  Egyptian  uniform  of  tight  white  jacket  and 
baggy  breeches  of  the  same  color,  with  gaiters  reaching 
to  the  knee,  shuffle  past ;  and  richly  dressed  Arnaouts,  or 
Albanian  soldiers,  in  the  picturesque  Greek  costume — • 
gold-embroidered  jacket,  with  white  fustenelles,  or  plaited 
shirts,  and  sash  girded  round  the  wasp-like  waist — swagger 
by.  Ruthless  ruffians  these  last ;  neither  Turk  nor  Chris- 
tian, but  a  compound  of  the  worst  vices  of  both — armed 
to  the  teeth  always,  with  pistol-butts  ostentatiously  pro- 
truding from  the  sash  on  each  side,  and  rows  of  brass 
capsules,  containing  cartridges,  ornamenting  their  breasts, 
till  they  look  like  walking  arsenals. 

On  that  part  of  the  Ezbekieh  fronting  the  Hotel  d' Orient 
was  an  open  space  before  the  chief  European  coffee-house. 
In  this  were  ranged  the  seats  and  tables  already  spoken 
of,  and  a  European  band,  composed  of  refugee  musicians, 
chiefly  Italians,  from  time  to  time  discoursed  most  excel- 
lent music.  Around  these,  as  a  centre,  were  grouped 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  29 

most  of  the  European  residents  of  Cairo,  as  well  as  the 
visitors ;  and  among  the  latter  were  the  party  of  travellers 
to  whom  the  reader  has  already  been  introduced. 

Miss  Priscilla  Primmins  had  preferred  remaining  at  the 
hotel,  through  the  double  fear  of  contracting  a  cold  in 
the  open  air,  and  the  secret  dread  she  entertained  of 
every  half-naked  Arab,  in  whom  she  saw  a  fanatical 
ruffian,  who  believed  paradise  his  reward  for  assassinat- 
ing a  Christian. 

"I  have  never  yet  passed  an  evening  on  Boston  Com- 
mon," she  replied  to  Mr.  Van  Camp's  invitation;  "and 
it  is  a  far  nicer  place  than  this  barbarous  grove :  so  I  do 
not  see  why  I  should  disgust  myself  by  mixing  with  those 
dirty  savages  over  yonder.  I  have  a  sweet  poem  of 
Whittier's  here,  which  will  amuse  me  until  your  return." 

So  the  party  went  without  Miss  Priscilla,  to  the  great 
delight  of  the  young  men,  who  looked  upon  the  spinster 
much  as  Coleridge's  wedding-guest  regarded  the  Ancient 
Mariner. 

Sitting  under  the  acacias,  listening  to  the  music  and 
chatting  pleasantly  over  all  the  strange  sights  and  sounds 
around  them,  under  the  silvery  brightness  of  a  Cairene 
moon,  which  gave  light  enough  to  read  by,  our  new 
friends  were  enjoying  themselves  thoroughly. 

Sir  Charles  was  talking  to  Edith,  who  rattled  away  in 
response  right  merrily,  when  suddenly  she  stopped  in  the 
midst  of  a  sentence,  and  colored  so  violently,  that  neck, 
brow,  and  bosom  grew  crimson,  while  her  eyes  wandered 
back  and  forth  from  one  particular  acacia-tree.  A  man 
was  leaning  against  it,  in  the  full  light  of  the  lamps  in 
front  of  the  coffee-house. 

Her  blush  and  confusion  were  not  noticed  by  the  Eng- 
lishman, who  was  not  a  quick  or  accurate  observer;  but 


30  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

his  glance,  following  hers,  also  rested  on  the  face  and 
form  of  the  lounger  under  the  acacia. 

"By  Jove  !  "  he  exclaimed,  "what  a  handsome  fellow 
that  Turk  is !  He  is  a  perfect  stunner !  Never  saw  a 
finer  fellow  to  make  a  beauty  man  in  a  crack  corps,  if  he 
only  had  an  inch  more,  and  wore  uniform  instead  of 
bags.  Miss  Van  Camp,  there  is  a  model  Oriental  for 
you!" 

Edith  only  murmured  something  in  reply.  Her  eye 
had  already  caught  the  form  and  features  so  strangely 
and  so  indelibly  impressed  upon  her  memory  by  a  single 
glance.  But  after  a  moment  she  rallied,  and  replied 
rather  indifferently : 

"Oh,  yes !  Good-looking  enough,  doubtless,  but  very 
probably  like  most  Egyptian  views — good  to  look  at  only 
from  a  distance.  The  difference  between  the  various 
classes  in  the  East,  they  tell  me,  consists  chiefly  in  dress, 
and  the  pipe-bearer  and  the  pasha  are  equally  ignorant 
and  brutal." 

"Well,  perhaps  so,"  responded  the  Englishman,  "but 
that  is  really  a  fine  animal,  nevertheless.  Reminds  one 
of  a  Bengal  tiger ;  very  agreeable  to  look  at,  quite  beau- 
tiful and  gentle  in  appearance,  but  a  terribly  sharp  claw 
concealed  under  the  velvet  paw.  I  know  a  man  when  I 
see  him,  and  depend  upon  it,  that  fellow  yonder  is  on&^ 

"Really,  Sir  Charles,"  laughed  Edith,  in  her  old 
manner,  "I  shall  begin  to  believe  you  have  contracted 
an  unfortunate  attachment  for  this  —  I  cannot  say  'fair' 
unknown,  for  he  is  very  dark.  But  I  fear  he  observes  he 
is  the  subject  of  our  remark." 

As  she  spoke,  the  person  whom  they  were  discussing 
prepared  to  move  on,  throwing,  as  he  did  so,  a  rapid 
glance  at  the  young  girl,  in  which  she  thought  there  was 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  3! 

a  gleam  of  recognition.  Just  at  the  moment,  Harry  Van 
Camp,  who  had  been  smoking  a  chibouque  at  a  little 
distance,  sauntered  up  to  where  his  sister  sat. 

•''Look  at  that  Turk,  yonder,"  Sir  Charles  said  to  him. 
"He  comes  up  to  my  ideal  of  what  an  Eastern  prince 
ought  to  be.  Is  n't  he  a  crusher?  " 

But  Harry  did  not  answer,  and  only  stared  hard  at  the 
stranger  with  a  puzzled  expression  of  countenance. 

"Surely  that  face  is  familiar  to  me,"  he  muttered  to 
himself.  "Where  can  I  have  seen  it  often  before?  It  is 
not  a  common  one."  And  after  a  moment,  a  sudden 
recollection  flashed  over  his  face,  as  he  cried: 

"By  jingo !  it  must  be  my  old  chum  at  Eton,  Askaros 
Kassis !  We  used  to  call  him  the  Egyptian  prince  over 
there.  He  and  a  batch  of  other  young  highnesses  were 
sent  over  to  be  educated  by  old  Mehemet  Ali,  and  I 
always  heard  he  was  a  great  swell  in  his  own  country. 
I  '11  try  if  it  isn't  he,  at  all  events." 

So,  as  the  Egyptian  sauntered  slowly  off,  the  younger 
Van  Camp,  making  a  detour,  passed  in  front  of  him, 
looking  full  and  inquiringly  at  him  as  their  eyes  met. 
Over  the  dark  features  of  the  Egyptian  passed  the  same 
shadow  of  doubt  and  half-recognition  that  had  flitted 
across  the  American's  a  moment  before;  but  his  face  lit 
up  with  a  sunny  smile  as  Van  Camp  advanced  with  out- 
stretched hand,  and  cried : 

"Why,  Askaros,  is  it  you,  old  fellow?  And  have  you 
forgotten  your  old  friend,  Harry  Van  Camp?" 

"No,  indeed,"  replied  the  Egyptian,  in  perfect  Eng- 
lish, but  with  a  slight  foreign  intonation.  ' '  One  does  not 
forget  old  friends  so  readily — at  least  in  the  East,"  he 
added,  laughing.  "  But  I  had  not  the  faintest  idea  you 
had  recrossed  the  Atlantic  since  we  parted  at  Eton, 


32  ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS. 

you  for  America,  I  for  Egypt.  But  as  you  are  here  now, 
you  must  let  me  try  and  do  the  honors  of  my  country 
for  you." 

Then  the  young  men  plunged  into  a  long  talk  about 
old  schoolmates,  interspersed  with  reminiscences  shared 
together,  of  the  past  happy  college  days,  when  the 
younger  Van  Camp  was  finishing  his  education  in  England. 

Their  colloquy  ended  by  the  Egyptian's  promising  to 
call  on  the  ensuing  morning  at  the  hotel,  that  he  might 
be  presented  to  his  friend's  family,  and  constitute  himself 
their  cicerone  while  in  Cairo,  for,  on  looking  around  to 
find  his  party,  after  his  long  talk,  Harry  found  his  father 
and  sister  had  left  the  Ezbekieh,  and  as  the  hour  was  very 
late,  had  probably  retired  for  the  night. 

Next  morning  at  breakfast,  while  he  was  relating  to  his 
sister  his  discovery  the  night  before,  and  giving  a  glow- 
ing panegyric  on  the  high  qualities  of  head  and  heart 
of  the  Egyptian,  the  latter's  name  was  announced,  and 
Askaros  entered  the  room.  He  advanced  with  easy  grace 
to  greet  his  friend ;  but  a  new  light  came  into  his  eye 
and  a  deeper  glow  tinged  his  dark  cheek,  when  he  found 
that  the  sister  was  the  same  lady  by  whom  he  had  been  so 
impressed  the  evening  before.  She  also  seemed  slightly 
confused,  although  —  prepared  by  her  brother's  revela- 
tion, and  sustained  by  that  superior  tact  which  seems  a 
natural  gift  to  women  —  she  suffered  no  sign  of  it  to 
appear  ;  greeting  her  brother's  friend  cordially,  but  with 
apparent  unconsciousness  of  ever  having  seen  him  before. 

Mr.  Van  Camp,  senior,  was  very  cordial  in  his  recep- 
tion of  Askaros ;  but  Miss  Primmins  was  so  astonished  at 
witnessing  the  deportment  of  this  "native" — who,  as 
she  afterward  expressed  it,  "actually  acted  and  spoke 
like  a  civilized  Christian  !  and  even  understood  English  !" 


A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS.  33 

— that  her  usual  volubility  forsook  her,  and  she  sat  star- 
ing at  the  young  man  with  eyes  and  mouth  wide  open,  as 
though  he  were  some  new  and  strange  specimen  of  nat- 
ural history. 

After  an  animated  colloquy,  chiefly  relating  to  the 
objects  of  most  interest  in  and  around  Cairo,  the  young 
man  rose  to  leave. 

"From  what  you  tell  me,"  he  said  to  Mr.  Van  Camp, 
"your  party  have  already  seen  the  ordinary  sights  of- 
•Cairo,  such  as  dragomen  usually  show  to  strangers.  You 
have  seen  the  Citadel,  the  Mosque  of  Mehemet  Ali, 
Joseph's  Well,  and  the  Bazaars.  You  have  spent  an 
evening  on  the  Ezbekieh;  but  there  are  many  peculiar 
things  in  this  country  not  on  public  exhibition,  and  for 
some  of  these  you  must  permit  me  to  be  your  cicerone. 
Have  you  yet  dined  in  Turkish  fashion?  Ah,  you  have 
not?  Then  honor  me  by  dining  with  me  to-morrow,  and 
I  will  show  you  a  specimen  of  that  performance.  Of 
course  I  include  the  ladies ;  and  we  will  only  dine  thus 
to  gratify  your  curiosity.  As  your  son  has  doubtless  told 
you,  I  am  a  Copt  and  a  Christian,  and  my  habits,  as  well 
as  my  faith,  are  fashioned  after  your  models." 

So  saying,  with  the  graceful  salutation  of  the  East — 
touching  Avith  his  right  hand  his  brow,  lips,  and  heart, 
with  a  gesture  full  of  ease  and  dignity — he  bowed  low 
and  left  the  apartment. 

There  was  a  brief  pause  after  his  departure.  It  was 
broken  by  the  amazed  Primmins,  whose  spell  seemed 
broken  as  he  left  the  room ;  and  whose  tongue  seemed 
suddenly  loosened,  like  the  famous  frozen  horn  of  the 
Baron  Munchausen. 

"Well !  "  she  said,  with  a  gasping  sigh,  "  if  I  write  this 
to  Beacon  Street,  they  never  will  believe  it !  I  scarcely 

C 


34  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

can  trust  the  evidence  of  my  own  eyes  and  ears.  Why, 
this  Egyptian  Turk,  with  his  baggy — what  was  I  going  to 
say !  I  mean  dress — except  that  his  face  is  a  little  yellow, 
acts  and  talks  just  like  any  one  of  the  young  men  you 
meet  on  the  Milldam,  a  fine  afternoon,  in  sleighing- 
time  !  But  I  don't  believe  one  word  about  his  being  a 
Christian,  although  he  said  he  was.  That  is  all  nonsense, 
of  course." 

"Why,  aunt,  did  you  not  hear  him  say  he  was  a  Copt, 
not  a  Turk  or  Arab  ? ' '  cried  Edith ;  ' '  and  do  you  not 
know  the  Copts  claim  to  be  the  earliest  Christians,  and 
look  down  with  contempt  on  the  Greek  and  Latin  Catho- 
lic Churches  as  only  upstarts  of  yesterday?" 

"Well,  my  child,  if  you  only  had  read  that  blessed 
Theodore  Parker's  works,  you  would  know  that  all  these 
old  forms  are  nothing  but  superstitions  and  priestly  con- 
trivances ;  and  that  the  only  pure  religion  on  earth  is 
to  be  found,  not  in  the  East,  where  it  was  born,  but  in  our 
Down-East,  where  it  has  become  national  and  universal. 
But  your  father  gets  angry  when  I  talk  philosophically, 
and  has  old-fashioned  notions,  so  I  will  say  no  more. 
But  I  must  believe  a  Turk  is  a  Turk,  though  he  can  speak 
English  and  act  like  a  Christian  ! ' ' 

As  Miss  Priscilla  Primmins,  with  all  her  philosophy 
and  philanthropy,  got  rapidly  red  in  the  face  and  loud 
of  voice  whenever  contradicted — glaring  fiercely  through 
the  glass  bow-windows  on  her  Roman  nose  —  her  niece 
thought  it  prudent  to  drop  the  subject. 

But  the  Englishman,  who  had  been  an  amused  listener, 
here  interposed. 

"I  am  sorry  to  disagree  with  Miss  Van  Camp,"  he 
said  gravely.  "  But  you  are  right,  Miss  Primmins.  How 
can  men  expect  salvation,  or  claim  to  be  Christians,  who 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  35 

live,  dress,  eat,  and  sleep  in  such  outlandish  fashion  as 
the  Egyptians  ?  Why,  they  say  their  prayers  in  the 
streets,  five  times  a  day,  instead  of  going  to  church  once 
a  week  in  black  dress-coats  ;  and  their  religion  is  made 
up  of  precepts  of  high  morality,  which  the  silly  fellows 
actually  practise  as  well  as  preach  —  including  universal 
toleration  :  and  finally,  they  have  never  heard  even  of 
the  Puritan  Fathers  ! ' ' 

The  ancient  spinster  bridled  up  with  delight  at  such 
commendation  from  such  a  source. 

"Do  you  hear  that,  Edith?"  she  cried,  triumphantly. 

"Oh,  yes  !  aunt,  I  am  listening,"  answered  the  younger 
woman,  half  amused,  half  provoked  at  the  cool  irony  of 
Sir  Charles.  He  saw  it,  and  chose  a  less  serious  theme. 

"Do  you  propose  accepting  this  invitation  to  an  East- 
ern dinner,  Miss  Primmins?"  he  asked. 

"Oh,  yes,  indeed!  I  am  really  curious  to  see  how 
and  what  the  creatures  eat, ' '  answered  the  lady  addressed. 

"Has  it  not  occurred  to  you  there  may  be  some  risk 
in  the  experiment?" 

"Risk!  how,  or  what?"  A  look  of  vague  alarm 
gleamed  through  the  spinster's  spectacles.  Sir  Charles 
drew  nearer,  looked  fearfully  around,  lowered  his  head, 
and  in  a  deep  whisper  hissed  the  one  word:  "Poison! " 

"Good  gracious!  how  shocking!  what  put  such  a 
horrible  idea  into  your  head?"  screamed  Miss  Priscilla, 
her  face  becoming  ashy  pale,  while  her  lips  quivered 
piteously. 

"Queer  beggars  these — hate  all  Christians  —  fond  of 
poisoning  'em — put  it  in  the  coffee.  Have  you  never 
heard  how  common  it  is  in  the  East?  Books  of  travel 
full  of  it.  Why,  they  think  it  a  passport  to  paradise  to 
poison  an  unbeliever  —  don't  think  women  have  any 


36  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

souls,  so  less  scrupulous  about  them  even  than  men ! 
Hope  I  have  n't  alarmed  you.  Thought  it  only  right  to 
give  you  the  warning.  I  have  an  antidote  myself;  always 
carry  it  in  my  vest-pocket.  Good  day." 

1 '  But  —  Sir  Charles  !  Stop  a — moment ! ' '  gasped  the 
spinster,  strong-minded  no  longer  under  this  dreadful 
idea.  "This  gentleman  Egyptian  is  a  friend  of  Harry's. 
He  says  he  is  a  Christian.  He  would  do  us  no  harm. ' ' 

' '  Very  true.  Had  n'  t  thought  of  that.  But, ' '  he  add- 
ed, mysteriously,  "who  can  vouch  for  his — cook?  He 
is  no  friend  of  ours.  Apoplexie  foudroyante  they  call  it 
here.  Very  common,  I  assure  you.  Do  not  be  alarmed  ; 
my  suspicions  may  be  groundless.  At  least,  I  hope  so. 
Good  day." 

And  with  this  parting  arrow,  serious  and  solemn  as 
ever,  the  Englishman  sauntered  out  of  the  room,  leaving 
the  chaste  bosom  of  Miss  Priscilla  a  prey  to  mingled 
emotions  of  terror  and  curiosity.  But  the  latter  part  of 
this  conversation  had  not  been  heard  by  Edith,  for  Sir 
Charles  never  ventured  to  quiz  her  aunt  so  outrageously 
in  her  presence.  The  young  girl  had  returned  to  the 
window,  and,  with  her  head  resting  on  her  hand,  seemed 
to  be  gazing  out  upon  the  street,  while  she  was  in  reality 
indulging  in  one  of  those  sweet  day-dreams  that  never 
survive  the  period  of  early  youth.  For  the  cold,  harsh 
realities  of  the  world  soon  dispel  them,  as  the  morning 
mists  are  chased  by  the  day-god  from  the  mountain's 
brow,  never  to  return  until  the  evening  shadows  set  in 
dim  and  gray  on  the  threshold  of  coming  night. 

What  she  was  meditating  upon  would  be  difficult  to 
tell — perhaps  clearly  to  describe  would  have  been  im- 
possible even  to  herself;  for  the  strange  and  unaccustomed 
images  of  men  and  scenery  around  her,  as  well  as  the 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  37 

intoxicating  influences  of  the  climate,  were  developing 
the  latent  romance  of  her  nature,  and  a  confused  throng 
of  strange  thoughts  and  new  fancies  were  flitting  through 
her  brain.  Prominent  in  all  these  phantasmagoric  visions 
were  the  face  and  form  of  the  young  Egyptian.  The 
music  of  his  low,  sweet  voice  still  lingered  in  her  ear,  as 
she  leaned  from  the  casement,  and  the  soft  wind  fanned 
her  cheek  and  stirred  gently  the  waves  of  her  brown 
hair. 

Edith's  life  hitherto  had  been  without  care  and  with- 
out much  thought.  She  had  seen  little  of  society,  having 
just  completed  her  "finishing"  at  a  fashionable  New 
York  boarding-school;  and  had  merely  rushed  at  tourist's 
race  through  Europe.  Her  mind  and  her  heart,  there- 
fore, were  both  as  pure,  and  had  had  as  few  characters 
impressed  upon  them,  as  a  virgin  page. 

What  hand  should  trace  those  characters,  and  whether 
they  were  to  be  poetic  or  prosaic,  depended  much  on 
chance  —  if,  in  the  government  of  this  world,  there  be 
such  a  thing  as  chance  under  the  mysterious  ordinations 
of  Providence:  if  what  we  blind  mortals  call  by  that 
name  be  not  a  link  of  that  unseen  chain  which  binds 
every  creature  to  the  footstool  of  its  Creator. 

The  mother  of  Edith  had  died  while  she  was  yet  an 
infant,  and  the  girl  had  never  known  the  softening  in- 
fluences even  of  an  adopted  mother's  kindness  and  care. 
The  rigid  Priscilla  Primmins  had  made  an  attempt  to 
take  charge  of  her  brother-in-law's  household  after  the 
death  of  her  sister — who  was  unlike  her  in  every  re- 
spect— but,  finding  she  could  not  live  out  of  Boston,  had 
soon  abandoned  the  effort.  Edith  had  no  other  near 
female  relative,  so  all  the  wealth  of  her  affectionate  heart 
had  been  lavished  upon  her  father  and  brother,  who  re- 
4 


38  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

paid  it  with  full  measure.  But  this  absence  of  a  mother's 
watchful  care  had  given  the  young  girl  an  independence 
of  thought  and  feeling,  and  a  decision  of  character,  rare 
for  one  so  young.  She  gave  rather  than  took  advice 
from  her  placid,  easy-going  father  and  rather  fast  brother, 
who  was  an  incarnation  of  young  New  York  in  its  sport- 
ing and  fashionable  phase — tempered  slightly  by  his 
early  English  training — and  was  not  particularly  clever 
nor  possessed  of  marked  ability  of  any  kind. 

Abandoning  herself  to  that  dreamy  indolence  of  mind 
and  body,  that  perfect  rest  which  the  Easterns  call  " keff," 
and  for  which  we  have  no  distinctive  word,  because  life 
with  us  is  a  fret,  a  hurry,  a  race,  a  conflict — Edith  let  an 
hour  slip  by,  when  the  clatter  of  horse's  feet  suddenly 
awakened  her.  Looking  toward  the  sound,  she  again 
saw  the  young  Copt,  on  his  milk-white  Arab,  slowly 
passing  the  Ezbekieh.  Askaros  looked  up  and  bowed  as 
he  passed,  with  a  sunny  smile  that  disclosed  under  his 
silky  moustache  a  row  of  teeth  glittering  white.  .  As  she 
returned  the  salutation,  Edith  blushed,  she  scarce  knew 
why,  and  hastily  withdrew,  in  some  confusion,  from  what 
her  own  heart  now  whispered  her  had  been  a  romantic 
watch  for  the  Eastern  cavalier,  who  now  began  to  fill  a 
dangerous  share  of  her  maiden  meditations. 

"Askaros  Kassis  !  "  she  murmured.  "  It  is  a  strange, 
odd  name,  but  surely  a  very  pretty  one." 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE   SERPENT-CHARM. 

TWO  hours  after  noon  on  the  ensuing  day  the 
party  from  the  Hotel  d' Orient  set  out  to  visit  the 
house  of  Askaros,  and  to  partake  of  the  Eastern  dinner 
he  had  caused  to  be  prepared  for  them.  Their  young 
host  himself  had  called  for  them,  and  with  thoughtful 
care  had  caused  his  sa'is  to  bring,  for  the  use  of  Edith 
and  her  aunt,  two  of  those  remarkably  fine  white  don- 
keys which  are  more  prized  in  Egypt  than  ordinary 
horses.  These,  both  in  size,  spirit,  and  pace,  are  very 
different  animals  from  the  wretched  little  creatures  which 
alone  are  seen  in  Europe.  Standing  as  high  as  a  small 
horse,  full  of  life  and  spirit,  carrying  themselves  with 
proud,  erect  head  and  arched  neck  —  and  with  gait  so 
easy  you  may  carry  a  glass  of  water  without  spilling  it, 
as  they  amble  along  —  they  are  the  best  animals  imagin- 
able for  ladies'  use ;  the  European  side-saddle  being 
substituted  for  the  native  one  when  strangers  ride  them. 
The  narrowness  of  the  Cairene  streets  forbids  the  use 
of  carriages,  except  in  particular  quarters  of  the  city, 
and,  even  in  these,  is  accompanied  with  inconvenience 
and  even  danger :  so,  as  the  house  of  Askaros  was  in  the 

39 


40  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

narrow  and  confined  Copt  quarter,  it  could  only  be 
reached  on  horseback  or  on  foot. 

It  was  with  great  difficulty  that  Miss  Primmins  could 
be  induced  to  mount  the  odd  and  wicked-looking  don- 
key which  was  assigned  to  her ;  and  it  was  only  on  the 
solemn  pledge  of  Sir  Charles  that  he  would  walk  beside 
her  all  the  way  that  she  finally  consented.  The  men  of 
the  party  were  all  on  foot,  for  the  distance  was  not 
great ;  and,  after  passing  through  the  Mooskie,  or  street 
of  European  shops,  and  winding  through  many  narrow 
by-ways — whose  houses  jutted  over  their  heads,  with 
each  successive  story  protruding  farther  forward  until 
only  a  narrow  strip  of  sky  could  be  seen  between  them 
at  the  roof — they  reached  a  garden  gate  set  in  a  high 
stone  wall.  This  gate  Askaros  opened  with  a  clumsy 
wooden  key,  that  turned  a  wooden  bolt  within,  and  the 
party  entered  a  cool  and  spacious  garden,  where  the 
palm,  the  orange,  and  the  citron  grew  amid  rich  exotic 
flowers  and  shrubs  that  filled  the  air  with  a  rich,  dense 
perfume. 

The  tall,  slender  stems  of  the  palms  —  rising  to  the 
height  of  thirty  feet  without  a  branch  —  like  Ionic 
columns,  gave  the  place  the  look  of  a  cathedral  —  an 
effect  heightened  by  the  odor,  as  if  of  incense  from  per- 
fumed censers  that  rose  on  every  side.  The  illusion, 
too,  was  aided  by  the  solemn  silence  that  reigned  in 
this  retreat,  after  passing  suddenly  out  of  the  noisy 
streets  of  the  city,  where  the  clamor  of  man  and  beast  is 
perpetual,  and  the  harsh  Arabic  gutturals  rise  in  a  chorus 
of  discordant  sounds  around  the  pedestrian. 

Inspired  by  the  resemblance  just  noted,  and  deeply 
impressed  by  the  sudden  silence  and  solemnity  of  the 
palm-grove,  Edith  murmured  half  aloud  : 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  .      4! 

"  'The  groves  were  God's  first  temples  ! '  ' 

The  quick  ear  of  the  Englishman  caught  the  quota- 
tion, and  he  answered,  "Very  true,  Miss  Van  Camp. 
The  quotation  is  true  as  poetical ;  and  this  grove  does 
look  deucedly  like  a  cathedral.  But  the  groves  have 
been  the  devil's  temples,  too  —  as  witness  the  Druids  — 
not  to  mention  the  witch-burnings  on  your  side  of  the 
water.  I  verily  believe  your  respected  aunt  now  be- 
lieves the  long-eared  fiend  she  is  riding  to  be  Sathanas 
in  disguise,  leading  her  into  this  his  domain.  We  only 
need  his  original  snakeship  here  to  make  the  impression 
perfect. ' ' 

As  he  spoke  this  laughingly,  walking  a  few  paces  be- 
hind the  young  lady's  donkey,  Sir  Charles  was  surprised 
at  receiving  no  other  response  than  a  blow  from  the 
sudden  recoil  of  her  donkey,  so  sudden  and  violent  as 
to  throw  him  out  of  the  pathway. 

At  the  same  moment  a  stifled  shriek  broke  from  the 
lips  of  Edith,  who  had  been  thrown  to  the  ground,  and 
had  just  risen  to  her  feet.  She  stood  immovable,  as 
though  from  terror,  trembling  in  every  limb,  her  lips 
parted,  and  her  blue  eyes  —  a  strange  mixture  of  fascina- 
tion and  horror  in  their  staring  orbs  —  fixed  upon  a  point 
in  the  shrubbery  just  before  her. 

At  the  sound  of  her  shriek,  Askaros,  who  was  a  few 
steps  in  advance,  leading  the  way,  turned  suddenly 
round ;  and  his  gaze,  following  hers,  was  instantly 
riveted  on  the  same  object,  with  somewhat  the  same 
fascination. 

From  the  midst  of  a  thick  clump  of  shrubs,  at  the  foot 

of  a  huge  palm,  gleamed  forth  what  seemed  two  living 

coals!  and  beneath  it  —  coiled  in  a  huge  bulk  like  the 

cordage  of  some  mighty  ship  —  fold  above  fold,  sinuous, 

4* 


42  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

undulating,  writhed  the  knotted  convolutions  of  a  slimy 
serpent !  The  eye  of  Askaros  bent  upon  the  burning 
spots,  that  made  a  gleam  in  the  dusky  shade  of  the 
shrubs,  till  he  could  distinguish  the  erect  head  of  the 
monster  —  its  forked  tongue  moving  rapidly  backward 
and  forward  in  its  poisonous  jaws  —  while  from  the 
greenish  eyes,  full  of  evil  fire,  sparks  seemed  to  scin- 
tillate. 

Then,  glancing  from  the  grim  terror  to  the  maiden, 
the  heart  of  the  young  Egyptian  stood  still,  the  hair 
bristled  on  his  head,  and  the  blood  in  his  veins  seemed 
to  freeze;  for  that  wondrous  influence  which  the  ser- 
pent eye  exercises  over  man,  bird,  or  beast — commonly 
known  as  fascination,  which  science  may  deride,  but  ex- 
perience has  confirmed  by  testimony  of  many  men  in 
many  lands  —  had  wrought  its  strange  spell  over  her 
gentle  spirit.  Her  first  impulse  of  terror  and  flight  had 
not  only  been  arrested,  but  changed  into  apparently  far 
different  sentiments ;  and  repulsion  and  horror  had  been 
succeeded  by  what  seemed  attraction  —  even  pleasure  ! 

Her  sudden  flight  was  checked,  changed  to  an  attitude 
of  eager  expectation — her  body  bent  forward — her  lips 
apart — her  hand  placed  to  her  ear  —  a  yearning  interest 
manifested  in  each  strained  feature  of  her  speaking  face. 
Still  her  large  blue  eyes,  the  pupils  unnaturally  dilated, 
strained  into  the  copse ;  and  she  stood  there,  under  the 
sombre  shadow  of  the  palm,  the  living  embodiment  of 
that  exquisite  creation  of  the  chisel  that  has  made  its 
sculptor's  fame — the  listening  Nydia  of  Pompeii. 

Her  parted  lips  moved  slightly,  and  her  hand  raised 
itself  with  a  languid  motion. 

"Hush !  "  she  murmured,  as  one  speaking  in  a  dream. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  43 

"Do  not  break  that  heavenly  music.  It  sounds  like  the 
song  of  the  angels ! ' ' 

Then,  on  the  second,  a  hoarse,  hissing  whisper  grated 
through  the  clenched  teeth  of  the  Egyptian,  who  stirred 
not  hand  or  foot,  but  with  a  single  glance  warned  back 
the  astonish  d  group,  who  were  about  pressing  forward: 

"Stir  not.  Speak  not — if  you  love  her!  It  is  the 
cobra-di-capello !  They  only  strike  when  angered  — 
movement  will  be  death ! ' ' 

A  chill  struck  to  the  heart  of  his  listeners  as  they  heard 
that  dreaded  name.  They  shuddered  and  obeyed. 

Motionless  as  the  rest,  but  with  every  muscle  braced  as 
if  ready  to  spring  between  the  girl  and  the  serpent — to 
interpose  his  own  body  as  her  shield,  if  necessary — and 
with  his  eye  riveted  upon  the  monster,  the  Egyptian 
watched  its  every  movement,  as  the  crest  rose  and  fell, 
and  the  scales  of  the  sinuous  bulk  writhed  and  twisted 
in  its  dark-brown  coils.  Large  drops  of  sweat  rolled 
from  his  contracted  brow,  his  breast  heaved  like  that  of 
an  athlete  after  a  deadly  strain,  and  blood  dripped  on  his 
white  silk  vest  from  the  lips  his  sharp  white  teeth  tore  in 
his  agitation.  Anxiety  strained  to  agony  was  stamped  on 
every  feature,  but,  with  marvellous  self-control,  he  stood 
still  as  if  hewn  out  of  stone ! 

Moments,  that  seemed  hours,  passed.  Twice  the 
cobra  raised  his  flattened  head,  projected  the  ominous 
cowl  over  his  red  eyes,  braced  his  stiffening  coils,  and 
seemed  preparing  for  his  arrowy  spring.  Then  twice  the 
Copt,  bracing  every  muscle,  seemed  ready  to  launch 
himself  between  the  monster  and  its  prey. 

But  twice  the  serpent  lowered  his  head  and  relaxed  his 
coil;  and  twice  a  deep  gasp  from  the  overburdened 


44  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

breast  of  the  man  proved  one  peril  past — one  strain 
over. 

The  rest  of  the  group — stupefied  by  the  peril,  and 
sure  that  the  Egyptian  knew  best  what  the  fearful  situa- 
tion required — implicitly  obeyed  his  warning. 

Suddenly,  while  all  remained  in  this  horrible  suspense, 
there  sounded  from  the  other  side  of  the  wall  the  low, 
wailing  notes  of  the  Egyptian  reed-flute,  followed  by  a 
peculiar  call.  As  the  Copt  caught  the  sound,  his  face 
brightened,  and  he  breathed  the  deep  sigh  of  relief,  for 
he  recognized  the  call  of  the  serpent-charmer,  so  well- 
known  in  the  East.  The  cobra  seemed  to  hear  it,  too. 
Through  his  vast  and  sinuous  bulk  there  seemed  to  run  a 
shuddering  thrill.  His  uplifted  crest  sank;  his  huge  folds 
sullenly  and  reluctantly  unwound;  and,  turning  his  head 
in  the  direction  of  the  sound,  he  stretched  his  full  length 
over  the  intervening  sward.  A  second  and  shriller  blast 
of  the  flute,  followed  by  a  louder  call,  broke  through 
the  dead  stillness ;  and  then  the  serpent  slowly  twisted 
round  its  gross  body,  and,  with  a  gliding  motion,  dragged 
it  off  in  the  opposite  direction — its  course  indicated  by 
the  waving  of  the  shrubbery  as  its  slimy  folds  worked 
through  it  with  a  rustling  sound. 

When  the  cobra  first  turned  his  head,  and  released  the 
maiden  from  the  spell  of  his  glittering  eye,  a  slight 
shudder  shook  her  frame,  and  she  leaned  eagerly  forward, 
as  though  to  follow  his  movements.  The  next  moment 
her  eyes  contracted,  the  lids  closed  wearily,  her  trem- 
bling limbs  refused  to  support  her,  and  she  would  have 
fallen  heavily  forward,  had  not  Askaros  rushed  up  and 
sustained  her  fainting  form  on  his  sinewy  arm. 

Then  the  whole  group  advanced  at  once ;  and  even  the 
acid  spinster — softened  into  demonstrative  affection  by 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  45 

the  fearful  peril  past  and  hideous  doom  so  late  averted  — 
took  the  inanimate  form  in  her  arms,  and  bestowed  all  a 
woman's  care  and  tenderness  upon  it. 

The  father's  heart  was  too  full  for  words.  Tears  rose 
to  his  eyes,  a  red  flush  conquered  the  ashy  pallor  that  had 
covered  his  ruddy  face  the  moment  before ;  he  seized  the 
hand  of  the  young  Egyptian  and  wrung  it  hard  in  silence. 
But  the  old  man's  eye  spoke  his  thanks  more  eloquently 
than  any  words. 

Harry  Van  Camp  was  more  demonstrative.  He  poured 
out  his  thanks  and  praises  on  Askaros  vehemently  and 
incoherently,  swearing  he  never  could  forget  that  to  his 
coolness  and  self-command  his  sister  owed  her  life. 

The  Englishman — to  whom  danger  was  familiar  in  the 
tented  field  and  deadly  Indian  jungles,  where  he  had  the 
renown  of  a  great  tiger-slayer — had  blenched  under  this 
new  peril,  in  which  his  experience  and  his  manhood 
availed  nothing.  Undemonstrative,  like  all  his  country- 
men, he  neither  by  word  nor  gesture  to  any  of  the  party 
indicated  his  admiration  of  the  Copt's  conduct;  but  he 
muttered  to  himself  under  his  brown  beard: 

' '  By  Jove  !  I  said  he  was  a  man  at  first  sight,  and  he 
has  proved  himself  one.  Any  fool  could  have  rushed  in, 
as  I  thought  of  doing ;  but  it  required  nerve  and  will  to 
do  the  thing  neatly  as  he  did  it !  The  fellow  's  a  regular 
trump,  by  Jove  ! ' ' 

Slowly  Edith's  eyes  unclosed.  Languidly  she  raised 
her  drooping  head  from  the  supporting  arm  of  her  aunt, 
and  said  wearily : 

' '  Why,  what  has  happened  to  me  ?  I  never  fainted 
before.  The  last  thing  I  remember  was  the  sound  of 
such  sweet  music !  It  seemed  to  come  from  aerial 
harps,  touched  by  the  fingers  of  angels.  Oh,  such  beau- 


46  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

tiful  sights  !  processions  of  fairies  and  beautiful  beings, 
that  beckoned  me  to  come ;  but  I  seemed  spell-bound, 
and  could  not  move.  I  never  felt  such  strange  sensa- 
tions before;  and  now  I  feel  weak  and  weary,  and  so 
drowsy." 

And  the  fair  young  head  sank  passively  back  once 
more,  and  the  eyes  closed  in  quiet  slumber. 

"Bear  her  quietly  in,"  said  the  Copt,  pityingly, 
"and  let  her  repose  an  hour.  Then  she  will  be  per- 
fectly well  again.  We  Egyptians  understand  this  ser- 
pent-fascination, which  you  Western  people  deride  as 
visionary  and  unreal ;  though  I  have  heard,  in  America, 
also,  it  is  not  unknown.  But  wait  a  moment,  and  I  will 
arrange  this  matter  better." 

Turning  to  one  of  the  Arab  sa'ts,  who  had  charge  of 
the  donkeys,  he  gave  some  hurried  orders  in  Arabic. 
Both  of  them  started  off  at  a  round  trot,  and  soon 
returned  with  a  rude  litter,  on  which  they  placed  the 
sleeping  girl,  and  trotted  off  again  up  a  broad  avenue 
that  led  to  the  house ;  Miss  Priscilla  resuming  her  don- 
key, and  accompanying  them. 

The  men  walked  slowly  after;  and  Askaros,  turning 
to  Mr.  Van  Camp,  said  : 

"I  owe  you,  sir,  an  explanation  and  an  apology — an 
assurance  that  I  never  dreamed  of  the  possibility  of  such 
peril  to  your  daughter  in  these  gardens.  They  are  too 
carefully  overlooked  to  permit  the  presence  of  such 
venomous  things  without  our  knowledge.  This  cobra 
had  evidently  escaped  from  one  of  the  snake-charmers, 
whose  note  of  recall  doubtless  saved  a  sad  catastrophe. 
The  sound  that  attracted  him,  you,  of'course,  heard,  and 
he  is  by  this  time  in  safe  custody  again." 

"  Snake-charmers  !  "  said  Mr.  Van  Camp  ;  "  who  and 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  47 

what  are  they  ?  And  are  there  really  men  who  venture 
to  keep  terribly  poisonous  snakes  like  that  as  familiars?" 

"Yes;  we  have  a  class  who  claim — and  do  possess  — 
the  power  of  attracting  these  venomous  reptiles,"  re- 
plied the  Copt.  "  They  enjoy  a  perfect  immunity  from 
the  poison  of  serpents.  I  have,  myself,  seen  them  on 
the  desert,  charming  a  cobra  from  his  hole,  and  handling 
him  with  perfect  unconcern.  But  what  their  secret, 
their  spell,  or  their  antidote  may  be,  is  known  only 'to 
themselves." 

' '  But  how  do  they  '  charm '  them  ?     In  what  way  ? ' ' 

"By  music  and  a  peculiar  cry,  both  of  which  you 
heard  practised  with  success  on  the  truant  who  appeared, 
and  really  was,  so  menacing  to  us.  This  is  a  strange 
land  of  ours,  and  there  are  many  strange  things  in  it 
which  we  ourselves  would  vainly  attempt  to  explain. 
But  we  cannot  shut  our  eyes  to  things  we  see  around  us, 
although  they  are  opposed  to  probability,  or  are  in  defi- 
ance to  natural  laws  and  to  established  principles." 

"Is  the  cobra,  then,  a  very  venomous  snake?"  in- 
quired Harry. 

"Most  venomous:  to  any  than  those  possessing  the 
spell  or  secret  of  which  I  speak,  his  bite  is  certain  and 
speedy  death,"  was  the  answer. 

Mr.  Van  Camp  shuddered  at  the  idea  of  the  peril  his 
darling  had  so  narrowly  escaped,  and  felt  yet  more 
grateful  to  her  preserver.  For  he  believed,  truly,  that 
nothing  but  the  coolness  and  self-possession  of  the  young 
Egyptian  had  averted  the  danger ;  and  he  further  be- 
lieved that  he  had  been  prepared  to  risk  his  own  life  for 
hers,  had  the  cobra  made  his  spring.  Askaros  divined 
what  was  passing  in  the  old  man's  mind,  and  changed 
the  topic,  as  well  as  the  current  of  his  thoughts. 


48  AS  A' A  If  OS    KASSIS. 

"  Come,  let  us  not  dwell  on  such  a  disagreeable 
theme,"  he  said.  "The  Eastern  philosophy  is  to  live 
in  and  enjoy  the  present,  and  leave  past  and  future  in 
the  hands  of  Allah,  our  God,  as  well  as  theirs.  l  Kis- 
met,'  or  fatalism,  is  their  buckler  and  sword  against  all 
the  ills  of  life,  and  submission  to  it  their  religion.  Let 
us  borrow  this  philosophy;  and  you,  my  friends,  for- 
getting the  unwelcome  and  uninvited  guest  now  disposed 
of,  turn  your  thoughts  to  the  novelties  I  am  about  to 
show  you  in  the  way  of  an  Eastern  house  and  an  Eastern 
entertainment.  For,  see,  here  we  have  safely  arrived  at 
my  own  threshold  at  last.  Enter,  and  consider  the 
house  and  all  it  contains  your  own  ! ' ' 


CHAPTER   IV. 

A    DINNER   A    LA   TURQUE. 

THE  dwelling  of  the  Copt,  which  stood  in  the 
midst  of  this  garden,  had,  in  fact,  formerly  been 
a  favorite  palace  of  Ibrahim  Pasha,  the  warrior  son  of 
Mehemet  Ali.  This  prince  had  swept  like  a  conquering 
flame  over  Syria,  returned  to  Egypt,  acted  as  regent  dur- 
ing the  madness  which  darkened  the  last  days  of  Me- 
hemet Ali,  and  died  before  him — Abbas  assuming  the 
regency  until  the  death  of  his  grandfather.  The  estate 
of  Ibrahim  Pasha  had  been  divided  among  his  heirs,  and, 
as  usual,  his  palaces  had  been  sold.  This  one  was  pur- 
chased by  the  father  of  Askaros,  who,  in  addition  to  his 
hereditary  wealth,  had  accumulated  a  large  fortune  by 
bold  and  successful  speculations,  having  figured  in  the 
rdle  of  Eastern  merchant  and-  banker  on  a  large  scale, 
and  as  one  of  the  millionnaires  of  Cairo. 

The  external  appearance  of  this  vast  pile  —  built  of 
granite  stripped  from  the  larger  Pyramids,  as  are  many  of 
the  more  solid  buildings  of  Cairo  —  was  more  imposing 
than  pleasing.  It  was  in  the  old  Saracenic  style,  with 
massive  walls  rising  sheer  up,  with  no  door  or  windows 
below  to  relieve  the  frowning  exterior  —  only  broken 
higher  up  by  a  kind  of  covered  balcony,  with  lattice-work 
5  D  49 


5<D  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

of  wood  curiously  carved  and  interlaced,  admitting  light 
and  air.  Standing  or  sitting  behind  these  lattices,  the 
male  or  female  inmates  could  see  all  passers  outside,  and 
themselves  remain  unseen. 

Nothing  but  this  blank  wall  presented  itself  from  the 
exterior.  The  dome  rose  into  a  cupola,  from  which 
stretched  away  long  wings  on  either  side,  making  the 
building  very  spacious,  while  very  gloomy-looking.  The 
tourists  could  see  no  door  by  which  to  enter  ;  but  their 
guide  and  host,  applying  a  clumsy  wooden  key  to  a  small 
orifice  in  the  wall,  shot  back  a  wooden  bolt  within,  and 
a  small  wicket-door  swung  back.  Through  this  they 
entered  a  large  square  court,  with  the  palace  built  around 
it,  the  interior  space  being  open  to  the  top  of  the  cupola, 
which  let  in  light  through  small  ovals  of  glass  stained  all 
colors. 

A  sort  of  colonnade,  like  the  cloisters  of  a  convent, 
ran  around  it  under  the  projection  of  the  second  floor  of 
the  building,  with  benches  or  rude  divans,  which  served 
the  purpose  of  seats  by  day,  and  of  sleeping-places  by 
night,  for  the  inferior  servants  of  the  household;  for, 
while  in  Europe  the  domestics  occupy  the  highest  story 
of  the  house,  in  the  East  they  occupy  the  ground-floor. 
Day  and  night  the  Bowab,  or  porter,  sits  or  sleeps  inside 
of  the  gate  leading  to  the  entrance  of  the  house.  The 
Bowab  of  this  establishment  was  an  ancient  Berberi,  with 
a  white  beard,  and  his  sole  duty  was  to  guard  the  gate  — 
an  institution  we  recognize  in  a  refined  shape  in  the 
French  concierge. 

A  broad  flight  of  marble  steps  led  up  to  the  first  floor, 
and,  removing  the  heavy  silk  curtains,  which  were  the 
substitute  for  a  door,  Askaros  ushered  his  guests  into  an 
apartment  more  truly  Oriental  than  any  they  had  yet  seen. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  5l 

It  was  a  very  long  room,  its  lofty  ceilings  ornamented 
with  the  most  elaborate  wood-work,  covered  with  tracery 
of  the  most  exquisite  patterns — the  beauty  of  the  work 
and  the  minuteness  of  its  finish  being  something  marvel- 
lous. The  walls  were  of  a  sort  of  mosaic  of  inlaid  wood, 
as  were  the  floors,  polished  until  as  slippery  as  glass,  with 
narrow  strips  of  the  richest  Persian  carpet  running  round 
the  room  to  walk  upon ;  heavy  rugs  of  the  same  Persian 
looms  being  placed  before  each  of  the  low  divans  occu- 
pying alternate  niches  in  the  wall  of  the  apartment. 

These  divans  were  of  the  most  luxurious  description ; 
low — not  elevated  more  than  six  inches  from  the  floor  — 
broad  and  deep,  and  covered  with  rich  silk  brocade. 
A  profusion  of  down  pillows,  covered  in  the  same  way, 
was  strewn  over  each  of  them. 

In  one  corner  of  the  apartment  stood  a  shining  brasier 
of  burnished  brass,  resting  on  a  low  tripod.  This  was 
intended  for  the  reception  of  burning  charcoal,  at  such 
rare  times  as  the  coldness  of  winter  rendered  a  fire  neces- 
sary, and  constituted  the  sole  substitute,  in  any  Egyptian 
house,  for  the  European  grate.  This,  with  the  divans, 
constituted  the  furniture  of  the  room,  save  a  few  koorsies, 
or  hexagonal  stands  of  rich  wood  —  about  two  feet  in 
height,  and  inlaid  with  mother-of-pearl  squares  —  intend- 
ed for  resting  small  trays  of  refreshments  or  glasses  of 
sherbet. 

In  the  very  centre  of  the  room  was  a  marble  fountain, 
with  its  broad  basin,  into  which  slowly  trickled  a  stream  of 
pure  water  through  a  graceful  swan's-head  carved  in 
marble ;  for,  as  it  was  winter,  the  fountain  was  not  in 
full  play.  In  summer  it  threw  up  large  jets  of  water,  that 
descended  into  the  basin  in  graceful  spray,  and  cooled 
the  atmosphere  delightfully. 


52  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

"This  is  our  reception-room,"  said  Askaros,  "and 
here  is  my  father,  to  whom  I  will  present  you.  Unfortu- 
nately, he  is  an  Egyptian  of  the  old  school,  and  neither 
speaks  nor  understands  any  of  the  European  languages. ' ' 

There  were  no  windows  of  the  ordinary  kind  in  this 
apartment,  but  at  a  height  of  perhaps  twenty  feet  were 
several  large  latticed  casements  without  glass,  to  admit 
both  light  and  air,  with  movable  silk  curtains,  which  by 
a  cord  could  regulate  the  supply  of  each.  Following  the 
direction  of  the  host's  eyes  through  the  obscurity  of  the 
darkened  room,  the  travellers  saw  at  the  divan,  at  its 
other  end,  what  seemed  a  large  bundle  of  silk,  surmount- 
ed by  a  snowy  beard.'  This  bundle  rose  and  advanced 
toward  them,  displaying  the  figure  and  face  of  a  tall  and 
venerable  old  man,  darker  in  complexion  and  more  rug- 
ged in  feature  than  the  young  Copt,  yet  bearing  strong 
resemblance  to  him. 

The  old  man  was  dressed  in  the  ancient  Copt  costume 
—  a  voluminous  turban  of  snowy  muslin,  a  close-fitting 
under-vest  of  striped  Syrian  silk,  over  a  snowy  shirt,  with 
a  long,  loose,  sad-colored  silk  gown,  open  only  to  the 
waist,  and  there  girded  with  a  heavy  silken  sash.  Red 
slippers,  with  pointed  toes,  completed  the  costume. 

He  advanced  and  greeted  his  son's  guests  with  that 
mixture  of  grace  and  dignity  so  common  among  the 
Orientals,  motioning  them  to  take  seats  on  the  divans 
near  him,  and  reserving  the  place  of  honor,  next  him- 
self, for  the  eldest  of  the  party,  Mr.  Van  Camp.  He 
was  a  venerable-looking  man — apparently  of  great  age, 
but  neither  the  fire  of  his  eye  was  dimmed  nor  much  of 
his  natural  force  abated.  Pipes  and  coffee  were  immedi- 
ately brought  in  by  the  attendants,  and  furnished  a  pleas- 
ant substitute  for  conversation — the  son  in  the  East  con- 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  53 

sidering  it  respectful  to  remain  silent  in  the  father's  pres- 
ence, and  the  father  being  unable  to  converse  except 
through  an  interpreter.  In  this  manner  the  old  man  said 
to  Mr.  Van  Camp: 

"My  daughter  is  attending  to  yours.  I  have  just 
received  a  message  stating  that  she  is  quite  restored,  and 
that  they  will  soon  join  us ;  for  you  know  that  we  are 
Christians,  and  do  not  veil  our  women,  except  in  public, 
nor  prevent  strangers,  properly  introduced,  from  seeing 
them." 

Then  the  whole  party  puffed  vigorously  at  nargileh,  or 
chibouque,  exchanging  but  a  few  words,  and  in  low  tones. 
Then  attendants  came  in,  bearing  trays,  on  which  were 
sweetmeats  in  a  large  saucer ;  each  guest  took  up  one  of 
the  many  spoons  upon  the  tray,  dipped  it  in  the  saucer, 
took  a  mouthful  of  the  confiture,  then  laid  down  the 
spoon.  Glasses  of  sherbet,  lemonade,  and  different- 
colored  liquids  were  also  proffered  from  time  to  time, 
as  were  fingans,  or  egg-shell  cups,  of  delicious  Mocha 
coffee. 

In  this  way  an  hour  passed ;  and  thus  we  will  leave 
them,  while,  making  use  of  the  spell-words  that  opened 
the  cave  for  Ali  Baba,  we  penetrate  into  the  Hareem,  or 
women's  apartments,  on  the  floor  above,  in  the  western 
wing  of  the  palace,  and  see  who  the  fair  inmates  are,  and 
how  employed.  Passing  up  the  stairway — which  on 
this  flight  was  narrower  and  built  of  stone  instead  of 
marble — and  taking  a  few  steps  through  an  antecham- 
ber, we  pass  under  a  crimson  silk  curtain  into  a  long, 
narrow  apartment,  slightly  smaller  than  that  below,  but 
finished  and  furnished  much  in  the  same  style.  This 
room  is  one  of  a  suite.  Divans  are  scattered  around  it, 
and  the  marks  of  female  occupancy  are  distinctly  visible 
S* 


54  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

in  the  oval  mirrors,  combs,  and  brushes  scattered  over  the 
koorstes,  or  little  pearl-inlaid  stands  already  described. 

On  one  of  the  divans,  half  reclining,  half  supported 
by  the  silken  pillows,  was  stretched  the  graceful  form 
of  Edith.  The  languor  of  her  late  swoon  had  almost 
passed  from  the  expressive  face,  and  the  blue  eyes  were 
gazing  into  the  dark  orbits  of  a  young  girl  kneeling  near 
her,  with  her  elbows  resting  on  the  divan,  and  a  gaze  of 
mixed  curiosity  and  shyness  fixed  upon  the  fair  stranger. 
This  was  the  young  El  Warda,  the  adopted  daughter  of 
the  elder  Askaros,  whose  face  and  figure,  while  equally 
lovely  and  attractive,  contrasted  singularly  with  those  of 
the  American  girl. 

She  was  a  true  Eastern  beauty — a  type  of  the  women 
who,  though  "soft  as  the  roses  they  twine"  to  all  out- 
ward appearance,  yet  conceal  under  that  lazy  languor 
passions  volcanic  in  their  fierceness,  when  once  awakened 
by  love  or  jealousy.  Although  scarcely  more  than  a 
girl  in  years,  her  face  and  form  had  the  ripened  maturity 
of  perfect  womanhood ;  for  in  the  East  all  fruits  ripen 
far  earlier.than  in  colder  climes,  and  women  mature  and 
fade  more  rapidly  too.  The  girl  who  now  knelt  by 
Edith's  divan  was  really  but  fourteen  years  of  age,  but 
she  seemed  six  years  older;  for  her  full,  lithe  form  was 
fully  developed,  and  the  neck  and  bust  moulded  in  perfect 
symmetry.  Her  face  was  round  and  full,  and  the  warm 
kisses  of  the  Syrian  sun  had  given  a  deep  brown  tint  to 
the  skin,  which  was  yet  clear  and  smooth,  with  a  rich 
sunset  glow  suffusing  it.  Her  eyes  —  large,  almond- 
shaped,  and  lustrous,  with  an  expression  of  dreamy 
melancholy  in  them — would  have  given  an  air  of  inde- 
cision to  the  countenance,  but  for  the  long  firm  slope  of 
chin  and  lower  jaw,  which  told  of  resolute  will.  The 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  55 

features  were  refined,  small,  and  chiselled;  the  lips  full, 
pouting,  and  voluptuous. 

She  wore  a  tight-fitting  crimson  velvet  jacket,  richly 
worked  in  gold,  over  a  white  satin  chemisette,  likewise 
heavily  embroidered,  and  with  a  row  of  small  gold 
buttons  up  the  front,  which  was  cut  very  low,  and  open 
enough  to  "display  much  of  the  lovely  neck  and  bosom. 
She  also  wore  a  shintyais,  or  pair  of  full  Turkish  trowsers, 
of  rich  silk;  and  falling  loosely  over  these  was  a  straight 
skirt,  or  petticoat,  of  the  same  material,  which  terminated 
in  a  train  behind,  and  gave  much  the  same  effect  as  the 
European  skirt.  Round  the  slender  waist  passed  a  golden 
girdle.  The  perfectly  shaped  little  feet  were  thrust  into 
dainty  little  slippers,  and  on  her  head  was  set  a  little 
round  cap;  both  cap  and  slippers  being  of  crimson 
velvet,  embroidered  in  gold  to  match  the  jacket.  Her 
lustrous  black  hair,  soft  and  fine  as  silk,  but  in  thick  and 
heavy  masses,  was  plaited  and  hanging  down  her  back 
in  two  long  braids,  the  ends  being  fastened  with  gold 
coins,  pearls,  and  bright  bits  of  ribbon. 

Both  in  face  and  figure,  dress  and  carriage,  she  pre- 
sented a  most  striking  contrast  to  the  blonde  Edith :  and 
even  a  greater  one  to  the  spare  spinster,  whose  angular 
proportions  were  unrelieved  by  crinoline,  and  whose 
bombazine  dress  clung  to  her  thin  figure  with  affectionate 
tenacity. 

Though  far  from  ungraceful  in  her  movements,  there 
was  a  startled  shyness  about  the  girl  that  made  her  almost 
seem  awkward,  in  spite  of  the  natural  undulations  of  her 
lithe  form.  She  resembled  rather  a  half-tamed  fawn, 
half  sportive,  half  terrified,  than  a  well-conditioned  young 
lady. 

The  orphan  child  of  a  near  relative,  adopted  by  the 


56  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

elder  Askaros  many  years  before,  when  the  absence  of 
his  son  in  Europe  made  a  void  in  his  house  and  heart  he 
found  it  necessary  to  fill,  El  Warcla  had  gradually  grown 
to  be  considered  a  real  daughter  by  him,  and  a  sister  by 
the  young  man.  Whether  it  was  a  sisterly  affection  which 
brought  the  hot  blood  to  her  face  whenever  the  name  of 
the  latter  was  mentioned  or  his  step  sounded  on  the 
stairs,  she  herself  would  have  found  it  difficult  to  tell,  for 
she  was  as  yet  too  young,  too  happy,  too  inexperienced 
to  analyze  her  own  sentiments  and  emotions.  Her  edu- 
cation had  been  perfected  by  an  old  Frenchwoman,  long 
resident  in  the  East,  and  she  had  thus  obtained  some  in- 
formation on  general  topics,  and  a  sufficient  mastery  of 
French  to  speak  it  fluently,  and  chat  away  with  Edith,  in 
a  shy,  constrained  manner  at  first,  but  finally  in  a  more 
cordial  and  unreserved  strain. 

During  this  careless  talk,  in  which  Edith  asked  ques- 
tions and  El  Warda  answered  them,  the  young  Ameri- 
can first  learned,  to  her  surprise,  how  utterly  different 
and  repugnant  were  an  Eastern  and  a  Western  woman's 
ideas  both  of  propriety  and  of  pleasure.  For  the  native 
Christian  of  the  East,  though  differing  in  faith  from  the 
Mussulman,  yet  carries  into  his  life,  manners,  and  morals 
many  of  the  peculiar  customs  and  prejudices  of  the 
Turk,  especially  as  regards  his  estimate  and  treatment  of 
women. 

With  all  of  them  the  woman  occupies  a  subordinate 
position — is  not  regarded  as  an  equal  or  a  companion,  so 
much  as  a  plaything,  to  be  petted  in  the  homes  of  the 
higher  —  a  kind  of  upper  servant  in  the  households  of 
the  middle  classes.  The  wife  of  the  Copt,  Armenian, 
Syrian,  or  Greek  Christian,  brings  in  with  her  own 
hands  the  tray  of  refreshments,  and,  after  meekly 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  57 

serving  guest  and  husband,  retires  or  remains  quietly  in 
a  corner,  without  expecting  to  be  addressed  or  to  take 
part  in  the  conversation.  If  spoken  to,  she  glances  at 
her  husband  to  respond  for  her ;  and  seems  so  fearfully 
embarrassed,  no  stranger  repeats  a  second  time  the  well- 
meant  but  painful  politeness. 

When  these  women  go  abroad,  they  also  veil  them- 
selves, and  it  is  considered  a  high  compliment  for  a 
strange  man,  even  in  the  house,  to  be  permitted  a  sight 
of  the  face  of  an  unmarried  woman. 

El  Warda  had,  however,  obtained  some  information 
as  to  the  habits  and  manners  of  the  Western  women 
from  her  old  French  governess,  and,  to  Edith's  surprise 
and  amusement,  plied  her  with  questions  such  as  an 
intelligent  child  might  be  supposed  to  ask.  Miss  Prim- 
mins,  who  understood  no  language  but  her  own,  and 
who  was  troubled  with  dire  apprehensions  concerning  a 
cramp  in  what  she  termed  her  "limb,"  in  consequence 
of  the  unaccustomed  contraction  of  that  member  from 
sitting  crouched  so  long  upon  the  divan,  sniffed  audibly 
and  defiantly  as  she  breathed  an  inward  vow  never 
again  to  subject  herself  to  such  trials. 

There  were  several  female  servants,  black  and  coffee- 
colored,  standing  in  respectful  postures  and  absolute 
silence  around  the  room,  and  one  of  these,  now  ap- 
proaching El  Warda,  informed  her  that  the  dinner 
awaited  only  the  coming  of  the  ladies. 

Passing  down  the  steps,  and  turning  into  a  small  but 
lofty  apartment  adjoining  the  great  saloon  of  reception, 
they  found  the  party  already  awaiting  them,  and  the 
ceremony  of  a  dinner  a  la  Turque  commenced.  But 
as  there  was  no  table  visible,  nor  any  preparation  for 
dining,  our  travellers  were  greatly  mystified. 


58  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

In  the  centre  of  the  room,  however,  Edith  observed  a 
large  souffra,  or  stand,  around  which  were  ranged 
cushions  to  the  number  of  their  party.  Upon  an  invita- 
tion from  Askaros,  she  seated  herself  upon  one  of  these, 
El  Warda  taking  that  next  to  her,  and  the  rest  of  the 
party  assuming  their  places,  with  the  exception  of  Miss 
Priscilla.  She,  indeed — through  the  double  apprehen- 
sion of  poison  and  of  cramps  —  strenuously  resisted  all 
invitations  to  join  the  circle,  alleging  sudden  indisposi- 
tion as  her  excuse. 

The  party  being  seated,  a  slave  passed  noiselessly 
around,  distributing  rich  damask  napkins  with  gold  bor- 
ders, which  each  guest,  following  the  example  of  his 
host,  gravely  tucked,  bib-like,  around  his  neck.  Then 
two  other  slaves  followed,  one  bearing  a  large  silver 
basin  with  perforated  bottom  and  a  reservoir  beneath, 
and  carrying  on  his  arm  a  very  soft  and  fleecy  Turkish 
towel ;  the  other  holding  a  large  silver  pitcher  of  fresh 
water. 

Instructed  what  to  do,  Edith  first  held  out  her  hands 
over  the  basin  while  the  slave  poured  water  over  them — 
the  Easterns,  with  a  refinement  of  cleanliness  we  might 
well  imitate,  always  washing  hands  and  face  in  running 
water.  Then,  when  she  had  dried  her  hands  upon  the 
towel,  the  slave  sprinkled  a  few  drops  of  rose-water,  or 
other  delicate  perfume,  over  them.  The  same  cere- 
mony was  gone  through  by  all  the  party ;  and  then  and 
there  the  slave  deposited  a  large  silver  tray  upon  the 
souffra  round  which  the  guests  sat.  This  was  the  soup, 
which  was  served  in  little  bowls,  a  large,  round,  and  flat 
piece  of  bread  being  also  placed  before  each  guest,  like 
a  plate.  The  soup  finished,  the  next  dish  was  brought  in. 

"Behold  your  dinner  !  "  said  Askaros. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  59 

The  guests  looked,  but  their  faces  lengthened  per- 
ceptibly, for  this  dish  was  only  a  young  lamb,  roasted 
whole. 

Neatly  turning  up  his  right  sleeve,  the  master  of  the 
house,  with  his  thumb  and  finger,  tore  deftly  off  large 
flakes  of  the  flesh,  and  deposited  them  upon  the  pieces 
of  bread  before  each  guest,  that  being  the  only  plate 
furnished  ;  and  for  knife  and  fork,  only  those  that  nature 
had  provided  for  the  primitive  man.  The  lamb  was 
roasted  with  pistachio-nuts,  and  was  tender  and  delicious 
in  flavor.  It  struck  the  strangers  with  wonder  to  see 
how  skilfully  and  how  gracefully  the  old  man  managed 
this  peculiar  carving,  and  how  daintily  he  selected  the 
best  tidbits  for  his  neighbors.  But  what  astonished  them 
still  more  was  the  perfect  cleanliness  with  which  the 
Egyptians  ate,  while  the  Europeans  presented  greasy 
faces,  and  greasy  fingers  too. 

Upon  tearing  open  the  lamb,  by  seizing  his  two  fore- 
legs, the  opening  disclosed  a  roasted  turkey;  tearing 
open  the  turkey,  behold  a  roasted  fowl ;  and  within  the 
fowl  a  pigeon  was  discovered  !  Then  the  guests  sup- 
posed the  tale  was  told.  But  no  !  Within  the  pigeon 
was  an  egg  in  the  shell.  Surely  it  is  over  now,  thought 
the  guests.  But  fresh  surprise  awaited  them,  for,  on 
breaking  the  egg,  in  the  very  centre  was  a  ring,  of  the 
rich  uncut  ruby,  more  prized  in  Egypt  than  the  dia- 
mond. This,  with  courtly  grace,  the  venerable  host 
proceeded  to  place  upon  the  finger  of  Edith,  despite  her 
protestations  and  reluctance  at  accepting  a  gift  she  knew 
must  be  of  such  great  value.  But  Askaros  having  assured 
her  his  father  would  feel  both  hurt  and  offended  if  she 
persisted  in  her  refusal,  she  felt  compelled  to  accept  the 
princely  offering. 


60  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

A  brief  pause  ensued,  after  these  labors  of  the  table, 
before  the  second  course  — consisting  of  an  infinite  variety 
of  made  dishes,  cooked  with  a  skill  and  cunning  that 
astonished  the  strangers  —  succeeded.  Then  came  sweets 
and  ices. 

The  banquet  was  concluded  by  the  appearance  of  the 
head-cook,  bearing  in  his  arms  a  great  palace  in  confec- 
tionery, which  as  a  work  of  art  rivalled  anything  they 
had  seen  before — the  Easterns  being  as  perfect  in  their 
manufacture  of  such  things  as  even  the  best  French  chefs, 

At  a  sign  from  his  master,  a  slave  handed  Edith  a  long 
willow  wand  ;  and  at  the  same  instant  El  Warda  rose 
from  the  cushion  next  Edith,  and  passed  to  the  other  end 
of  the  room,  where  the  ancient  spinster  sat  chewing  the 
cud  of  sweet  and  bitter  fancies,  and  watching  the  pro- 
ceedings with  mingled  sensations  of  suspicion,  scorn,  and 
curiosity,  sharpened  by  hunger,  which  the  savory  fumes 
from  the  dishes  had  aggravated. 

Edith  took  the  wand,  and,  prompted  by  Askaros,  struck 
smartly  one  of  the  towers  of  the  castle  of  confectionery. 
It  fell  in  fragments,  but  the  girl  started  back  in  alarm, 
for  something  living  struggled  out  from  those  fragments 
with  a  whirring  of  wings,  and  a  snow-white  bird  rose  into 
the  air  above  their  heads.  Circling  around  the  table,  it 
hovered  over  them,  and  finally  settled  down  on  the  left 
shoulder  of  Edith,  pressing  its  soft  head  caressingly 
against  her  cheek.  She  saw  it  was  a  beautiful  carrier- 
dove,  and  commenced  to  fondle  it  and  smooth  its  ruf- 
fled plumes.  But  the  bird  seemed  restless,  and  pecked 
at  her  gently  with  his  beak,  as  though  impatient,  and 
seeking  to  attract  her  attention. 

"  He  brings  a  message  from  the  Genii,"  said  Askaros; 
"or,  as  you  would  say,  from  the  Queen  of  the  Fairies. 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  6 1 

If  you  wish  to  find  it,  detach  the  ribbon  from  his 
neck." 

The  girl  obeyed,  and  when  the  ribbon  was  detached, 
she  drew  by  it,  from  under  the  carrier's  wing,  a  small 
silken  bag.  Opening  this,  she  saw  a  scroll  of  white  satin, 
with  Arab  characters  emblazoned  upon  it  in  gilded  letters. 

"Translate  it  for  me!"  she  cried ;  and  Askaros  re- 
peated : 

"This  house  and  all  it  contains  is  yours.  Salaam 
Aleikoum!  (Peace  be  with  you!)  Search  again  in  the 
bag,"  he  added ;  "there  may  be  something  more." 

As  she  plunged  her  fingers  into  it,  they  encountered  a 
hard  substance,  and,  drawing  them  out,  she  saw  what  re- 
sembled two  lockets  of  gold.  On  the  back  of  each,  in 
a  circlet  of  precious  stones,  were  traced  Arabic  letters  — 
set  in  the  front  of  each  a  dull  yellow  stone,  not  unlike  an 
amethyst,  but  more  cloudy  and  less  brilliant. 

"The  Arabic  letters,"  explained  Askaros,  "are  your 
name  and  your  aunt's.  These  are  amulets  to  be  worn 
over  the  heart  as  a  protection  against  the  Evil  Eye — the 
stones  come  from  Mecca.  This  is  a  Turkish  superstition, 
and  yet,  I  regret  to  say,  that  most  of  the  native  Chris- 
tians, and  even  many  of  the  foreigners  who  have  been 
long  here,  believe  in  it.  Will  your  aunt  and  yourself 
condescend  to  accept  them,  in  my  father's  name,  as  sou- 
venirs of  the  honor  you  have  done  him  by  this  visit 
to-day?" 

"Really,"  said  the  young  girl,  smiling,  as  her  aunt, 
coming  forward,  accepted  the  gift  in  her  own  and  her 
niece's  name,  and  both  bowed  their  acknowledgments  to 
the  elder  Askaros,  who  bent  low  his  head  and  laid  his 
hand  upon  his  heart  —  "Really  I  shall  begin  to  believe 
that  this  is  an  enchanted  castle,  and  that  you  are  a  fairy 


62  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

prince,  and  your  father  the  old  Caliph  Haroun  in  dis- 
guise. But  tell  me  one  thing :  how  came  the  bird  to 
perch  on  my  shoulder,  in  preference  to  another's?  " 

"Nothing  more  simple,"  responded  the  young  man. 
"  He  was  trained  to  perch  on  El  Warda's  shoulder,  and 
a  small  red  ribbon,  which  you  will  now  see  pinned  on 
yours,  was  his  lure  where  to  perch.  El  Warda  left  her 
cushion  by  your  side,  not  to  confuse  him." 

"Very  clever  dodge,  by  Jove!"  said  Sir  Charles. 
"That  really  did  puzzle  me.  Perfect  sell!  Begun  to 
believe  myself  that  our  charming  host  and  his  venerable 
father  were  a  pair  of  wizards,  and  might  fly  away  with 
the  ladies  through  the  top  of  the  roof.  But  my  fears  are 
now  dispelled.  Pity  to  spoil  the  romance  of  it  by  an 
explanation,  however.  Curse  of  the  age  everywhere  !  " 

The  slaves  now  approached  once  more  with  basin  and 
goblet,  and  the  same  ceremony  of  bathing  in  running 
water,  which  had  prefaced  the  dinner,  closed  it. 

Then  the  head  of  the  household  gravely  rose,  his  flaw- 
ing robes  and  long  white  beard  giving  him  the  dignity  of  a 
patriarch,  and,  extending  his  hands,  asked  a  blessing  in 
Arabic  for  all  around  the  board. 

Then  all  his  guests  rose  also,  the  female  portion  re- 
ascending  to  the  upper  apartments,  where  sherbet  and 
coffee  were  served ;  the  men  reclining  at  ease  on  the 
luxurious  divans,  and  inhaling  the  fragrant  latakia,  or 
stronger  tumbac  of  Persia,  from  chibouque  and  nargileh 
— the  latter  made  of  silver  inlaid  with  gold,  in  rich  ara- 
besque of  fruit  and  foliage  traced  upon  the  stands.  They 
were  four  feet  high,  and  the  bowls,  containing  rose-water, 
were  made  in  some  of  them  of  ostrich  eggs  set  in  silver, 
and  their  flexible  tubes  were  ten  feet  in  length. 

It  was  near  midnight  when  the  whole  party  returned 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  63 

to  the  Hotel  d*  Orient,  bewildered  and  delighted  by  the 
strange  scenes  that  had  passed  under  their  eyes  during 
the  last  few  hours.  But  before  they  left  the  house,  the 
younger  Copt  had  laughingly  said  : 

"  I  have  kept  my  promise,  and  given  you  an  entertain- 
ment thoroughly  a  la  Turque.  Such  is  the  way  our 
people  habitually  live :  such  is  the  ordinary  life  of  my 
father's  family,  but  with  one  exception.  Such  is  not  my 
life ;  for,  as  the  spoiled  child  of  the  household,  I  am 
allowed  the  privilege  of  living  a  la  Franque,  as  they  term 
it,  or  like  a  European.  The  jealous  temper  of  Abbas 
Pasha,  our  Viceroy,  and  his  hatred  of  everything  Eu- 
ropean, make  conformity  to  Eastern  usage  in  dress  and 
mode  of  life  essential  as  well  as  politic." 

Lifting  the  curtain  of  the  door,  he  passed  out,  followed 
by  the  foreigners,  and  led  the  way  through  many  long 
and  winding  passages,  that  indicated  the  vast  extent  of 
the  building.  Suddenly  applying  a  key  to  a  small,  low 
door,  he  passed  another  narrow  passage,  and,  lifting  a 
curtain,  displayed  a  spacious  suite  of  rooms.  They  con- 
sisted of  parlor,  library,  bed  and  bath-rooms,  and  were 
perfect  and  elegant  in  details  of  appointment,  being  fitted 
up  in  the  most  luxuriant  European  style. 

"This  is  my  home,"  he  said.  "Here  I  venture  to 
assume  my  English  habits  and  tastes,  with  my  English 
toilet  and  studies.  I  should  otherwise  have  relapsed  into 
a  barbarian,  as  have  many  of  my  old  classmates  since 
their  return  from  Eton.  So  you  see,  my  friends,  I  live 
two  lives  —  an  outer  and  an  inner  one.  To-day  shall  be 
marked  in  my  calendar  with  a  white  stone,  for  to-day 
Europe  has  come  to  me,  instead  of  my  pretending  thus 
to  go  to  it." 


CHAPTER  V. 

AN    EGYPTIAN    VICEROY    IN    PUBLIC. 

ABBAS  PASHA,  grandson  of  Mehemet  Ali,  sat  on 
the  throne  built  up  and  cemented  by  the  craft, 
cruelty,  and  courage  of  his  great  progenitor,  so  aptly 
termed  the  "Napoleon  of  the  East." 

The  line  thus  far  had  been  an  ominous  one ;  the  race 
seemed  destined  to  be  as  fated  as  was  the  old  classic 
house  of  Pelops,  in  the  Greek  tradition,  on  which  the 
gods  had  hailed  down  all  and  every  species  of  woe  and 
horror,  and  all  those  ghastly  terrors  which  have  come 
down  to  us  through  the  tragedies  of  Sophocles  and  Euri- 
pides. 

For  the  visitation  of  God  had  first  fallen  upon  the 
great  head  of  the  house  himself,  in  the  fearful  doom  of 
madness;  and  the  chosen  instrument  of  that  visitation 
was  said  to  have  been  none  other  than  his  own  daughter, 
Nezle  Khanum — an  Egyptian  Helen  of  Troy  —  for  from 
her  hand  came  the  love-philter  which  was  to  renew  his 
waning  powers,  which  shattered  his  reason.  The  even- 
ing of  the  great  monarch's  eventful  life  alternated  between 
moftdy  melancholy  and  violent  insanity,  until  he  was  de- 
posed, and  his  son,  Ibrahim  Pasha,  made  Viceroy  over 
the  kingdom. 

64 


A  SKA  R  OS    XASSIS.  6$ 

Ibrahim  did  not  long  survive  his  new  dignity,.  Whether 
from  his  excesses — or  from  poison,  as  many  supposed  — 
the  warrior's  funeral  procession  followed  close  upon  the 
pageant  of  his  installation;  and  Abbas  Pasha  became 
Regent  for  a  few  months,  till  death  released  his  grand- 
father, and  made  him  Viceroy  in  name  as  well  as  in  fact. 

The  father  of  Abbas  had  met  even  a  more  tragic  fata 
than  his  sire.  Sent  to  subdue  the  fierce  Wahabees  of  the 
Soudan,  he  had  been  captured,  and  burned  to  death, 
over  a  fire  of  green  wood,  by  those  implacable  fanatics., 
who  boast  themselves  the  only  true  followers  of  the 
prophet,  and  are  aptly  styled  the  ' '  Puritans  of  the  East. ' ' 
Cruelly  was  this  savage  act  avenged ;  for  Mehemet  Ali 
sent  the  Defterdar,  surnamed  "The  Tiger,"  the  husband 
of  Nezle  Khanum,  to  carry  fire  and  sword  through  the 
Soudan;  a  commission  he  fulfilled  with  all  the  blood- 
thirst  of  the  fierce  wild  beast  whose  name  and  nature 
he  shared.  He  too  was  said  to  have  perished  from 
poison  administered  by  the  fair  but  fatal  hand  of  his 
beautiful  spouse — a  tigress  fiercer  and  more  fell  than  her 
savage  mate. 

So  when  Abbas  Pasha  ascended  that  throne,  reeking 
already  with  blood  and  crime,  and  tainted  with  the  sickly 
odor  of  poison,  well  might  he  suspect  and  fear  those  who 
should  have  been  nearest  and  dearest  to  him  in  blood  and 
affection,  and  have  watched  for  his  deadliest  foes  among 
his  own  kindred.  Popular  superstition  also  had  centred 
upon  him  as  one  possessed  of  the  ''evil  eye" — con- 
sidered a  fatal  gift  in  the  East;  and  whispered  predic- 
tions of  the  dreadful  doom  awaiting  him  were  already 
made. 

And  the  character  and  nature  of  Abbas  were  such  as 
to  allow  bad  seed   to   swiftly  germinate   and   fructify. 
6*  E 


66  ASKAROS   /CASSIS. 

Sullen  and  suspicious,  grasping  at  and  hoarding  wealth, 
solitary  as  some  wild  beast  of  the  desert — he  was  known 
only  to  his  people  from  his  exactions  and  his  cruelties ; 
for  his  was  truly  a  ''Reign  of  Terror,"  in  which  neither 
the  life,  liberty,  nor  property  of  any  subject  was  safe. 
His  nominal  suzerain,  the  Sultan,  had  really  no  control 
^over  his  powerful  vassal,  and  seldom  attempted  to  exert 
any,  satisfied  with  the  yearly  tribute  punctually  paid.  So 
Abbas  was  free  to  work  his  own  wicked  will  over  the 
fertile  land  and  over  the  people  of  Egypt,  even  as  he 
listed.  Such  was  the  actual  condition  of  the  country, 
and  such  its  sovereign,  at  the  period  of  this  tale. 

Some  days  subsequent  to  the  visit  to  the  house  of  the 
Copt,  as  the  tourists  were  sitting  at  breakfast  at  the  Hotel 
(F  Orient,  they  were  visited  by  their  late  host,  who  bore 
in  his  hand  a  bouquet  of  rare  exotics,  arranged  with  that 
skill  which  seems  the  special  gift  of  the  Eastern  man. 
After  presenting  these  to  Edith,  he  informed  his  friends 
that  on  this  day  the  formal  presentation  to  the  Viceroy 
of  one  of  the  newly-arrived  foreign  consuls-general 
was  to  take  place  at  the  former's  palace,  the  Helmea. 
He  proposed  taking  them  to  this  ceremony,  which  would 
afford  an  opportunity  of  their  seeing  and  being  enter- 
tained by  the  Viceroy. 

"I  can  only  invite  the  gentlemen,"  he  said,  with  a 
smile,  "for  you  know,  in  the  East,  woman  has  not  yet 
emerged  from  the  seclusion  of  the  hareem.  She  cannot 
figure  in  such  ceremonies,  as  in  more  civilized  countries 
—  yours  for  example,"  he  added,  bowing  low  to  Miss 
Priscilla  Primmins. 

"Very  true,  young  man,"  replied  that  ancient  female, 
flattered  by  the  appeal.  "  There  never  has  been  a  gov- 
ernor inaugurated,  nor  a  public  meeting  held  at  Faneuil 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  6/ 

Hall,  to  which  the  ladies  of  Boston  were  not  welcomed 
by  the  gentlemen.  Some  even  have  gone  so  far  as  to 
speak  in  public  !  Now,  I  do  not  quite  approve  of  that, 
nor  of  woman's  voting ;  but,  as  nobody  votes  here,  I 
suppose  that  doesn't  matter." 

"  The  ladies  of  Boston  figure,  too,  in  the  learned  pro- 
fessions, do  they  not?"  asked  Sir  Charles;  "preach,, 
and  practise  law  and  medicine  ?  Am  I  right  ? ' ' 

"  Certainly  they  do  !  And  why  not?"  responded  the 
spinster. 

"  Oh,  certainly  !  Why  not?"  responded  the  English- 
man, carelessly;  "Cela  dtpend  du  gout ;  but  if  I  were  a 
married  man,  Miss  Primmins,  even  at  Boston,  I  should 
seriously  object  to  my  wife's  getting  up  at  night  to  go 
out  and  see  another  man,  professionally  or  otherwise  !  I 
am  not  quite  sure  but  our  friends  the  Turks  are  quite 
right  in  putting  some  restraint  on  female  liberty." 

A  wrathful  answer  rose  to  the  lips  of  Miss  Primmins 
at  thus  hearing  woman's  rights  and  Boston  theories  so 
summarily  disposed  of;  but  she  remembered  it  was  a 
lord  who  spoke,  and  her  reverence  subdued  her  wrath. 
She  sniffed,  stiffened  her  spine,  bit  her  tongue,  and  was 
silent,  somewhat  to  the  detriment  of  that  useful  organ. 

Turning  to  the  Van  Camps,  Askaros  resumed : 

"You  will  naturally  wish  to  know  how  it  is  in  my 
power  to  give  you  this  privilege,  for  such  it  is ;  and  it 
will  surprise  you  to  learn  that  I  am  an  employe*  of  the 
consulate  whose  representative  is  to  be  received  to-day. 
I  am  its  official  translator,  not  for  the  sake  of  the  salary, 
but  for  the  inestimable  privilege  of  the  protection  it  con- 
fers; for  each  and  every  employe,  or  official,  of  a  foreign 
consulate  here  is,  by  usage,  which  is  stronger  than  law, 
entitled  to  claim  and  exact  protection  for  person  and 


68  A  SKA  £  OS    KASSIS. 

property,  even  against  the  Viceroy  himself.  My  having 
accepted  this  protection  has  greatly  incensed  the  Viceroy, 
whose  government  have  thus  far  denied  it.  But  I  have 
strong  friends  in  the  consulate,"  he  added,  "and  shall 
go  to-day,  in  spite  of  a  warning  from  the  master  of 
ceremonies  to  the  contrary.  My  family  were  great 
favorites  with  Mehemet  Ali,  under  whom  my  father  held 
high  office.  Hence  we  are  hated  by  Abbas,  who  fears 
and  suspects  all  who  loved  his  grandfather." 

The  Americans  and  the  Englishman  listened  in  silence 
and  with  much  surprise  to  this  strange  explanation,  which 
showed  them  that  other  serpents  than  the  cobra  might 
lurk  among  the  sunny  pathways  and  rose-covered  gar- 
dens through  which,  to  the  casual  observer,  the  feet  of 
the  young  Egyptian  seemed  destined  to  tread.  But  no 
further  comment  was  made  on  either  side ;  and,  re- 
questing them  to  be  ready  after  midday  to  accompany 
him  to  the  foreign  consulate,  whence  the  procession  was 
to  move,  the  young  man  placed  his  hand  over  his 
heart,  cast  an  admiring  glance  on  Edith,  and  gracefully 
withdrew. 

At  midday  he  returned,  and  accompanied  the  party 
to  the  consular  residence,  a  large  house  fronting  the 
Ezbekieh,  with  the  national  arms  conspicuously  painted 
on  a  shield  over  the  doorway,  and  the  national  flag 
floating  from  a  flag-staff  high  above  the  dwelling.  For 
in  the  East  each  embassy,  or  consulate,  protects  the 
ground  it  covers  by  the  virtue  of  its  own  flag,  and  is  an 
inviolate  asylum,  free  from  all  intrusion  by  the  local 
authorities  or  the  Egyptian  Government. 

Formal  notice  of  the  new  consul-general's  intention 
of  presenting  his  credentials  had  been  given,  and  as 
formal  an  answer,  in  French,  had  been  returned  by 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  69 

"  His  Highness,  the  Viceroy,"  announcing  the  time  and- 
place  fixed  for  such  reception.  The  hour  after  mid- 
day was  the  time,  and  the  place  one  of  the  Viceroy's 
numerous  palaces  at  Cairo,  called  the  Helmea.  An 
hour  before  the  time  fixed  for  the  reception,  there 
arrived  and  passed  before  the  consulate-general  a  long 
line  of  carriages,  escorted  by  some  two  hundred  cavalry; 
the  men  and  horses  most  gorgeously  dressed  and  capari- 
soned, and  the  state  carriages  lined  with  crimson  damask 
and  blazing  with  gilt  decorations.  From  these  car- 
riages descended  the  Viceroy's  chamberlain  and  intro- 
ducer-of -ambassadors,  both  of  whom  spoke  French, 
and,  on  being  introduced  to  the  consul-general  by  his 
dragoman,  or  interpreter,  they  announced,  with  much 
form  and  ceremony,  that  they  had  been  sent  to  accom- 
pany and  usher  the  foreign  representative  into  the  pres- 
ence of  their  august  master.  Pipes  and  coffee  were 
offered  these  officials,  who  partook  of  both,  and  then, 
expressing  their  readiness  to  set  forth,  the  consul-gen- 
eral, accompanied  by  his  suite  of  consular  officials,  some 
eight  in  number,  was  heralded  out  by  two  janizaries,  or 
guards,  magnificently  attired  and  armed  in  Oriental 
fashion. 

These  ranked  with  captains  in  the  Egyptian  service, 
and  were  responsible  to  no  one  but  their  chief.  In  ad- 
dition to  their  crooked  Turkish  scimitars,  with  silver 
scabbards,  they  bore  long  white  staffs,  six  feet  long, 
tipped  with  silver,  and  having  silver  heads  six  inches  in 
length ;  with  which,  preceding  the  consul-general,  they 
struck  at  every  one  who  impeded  the  way,  with  the  most 
reckless  impartiality.  The  functionaries  of  the  Viceroy 
seated  the  suite  of  the  consul-general,  including  several 
strangers  whom  he  had  invited,  in  the  state  carriages, 


7O  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

according  to  precedence,  and  then  the  whole  cavalcade, 
escorted  by  the  cavalry,  set  out  for  the  Helmea. 

Slowly  the  cortege  wound  its  way  through  the  crooked, 
narrow,  and  crowded  streets  of  Cairo ;  the  people  scat- 
tering right  and  left,  as  the  wheels  almost  grazed  them, 
and  escaping  from  being  crushed  to  death,  or  flattened 
into  pancakes  against  the  walls,  by  what  seemed  a 
miracle.  Sal's,  or  couriers,  armed  with  stout  sticks,  ran 
on  before  the  horses'  heads,  and  struck  all  who  did  not 
get  quickly  enough  out  of  the  way ;  so  that  they  were 
followed  by  what  seemed  a  chorus  of  curses,  until 
reaching  the  palace  gates.  Here  another  troop  of  horse- 
men were  drawn  up  to  receive  them ;  and,  alighting  in 
front  of  a  most  imposing  structure,  abounding  in  marble 
fountains  and  latticed  windows,  they  ascended  the  broad 
steps,  passed  through  long  suites  of  spacious  apartments, 
magnificently  furnished  in  a  m/lange  of  Eastern  and  Eu- 
ropean splendor,  and  were  ushered  into  the  presence  of 
Abbas  Pasha,  Viceroy  of  Egypt. 

He  was  sitting  on  a  divan,  with  his  feet  coiled  up  under 
him  in  true  Turkish  fashion,  as  they  entered,  but  rose  and 
advanced  a  few  steps  forward  to  meet  the  consul-general. 
As  he  did  so,  he  saluted,  by  placing  his  hand  upon  his 
brow,  and  courteously  motioned  his  guest  to  take  a  seat 
by  his  side.  The  Turkish  gentleman  never  shakes  hands 
like  the  Englishman  or  American,  nor  embraces  and 
kisses  like  the  Frenchman  or  Italian.  He  salutes  his  friend 
by  touching  his  own  heart,  lips,  and  brow,  with  a  gesture 
full  of  grace.  The  common  Arab  is  more  demonstrative. 
He  seizes  his  friend's  thumb  and.squeezes  it;  then  slaps 
the  other's  open  hand  several  times  with  his  own.  The 
ladies  you  are  not  expected  to  salute,  as  you  are  not  sup- 
posed to  be  allowed  the  privilege  of  ever  seeing  them. 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  /I 

The  consul-general  took  the  proffered  seat  by  the 
Viceroy's  side,  his  s^ite  being  assigned  places  on  the 
divans  at  some  little  distance.  Then  he  glanced  curiously 
at  his  companion,  and  saw  a  man  apparently  of  middle 
age,  of  swarthy  complexion,  and  with  little  beard,  short 
and  stout  of  figure,  with  bloated,  sensual  face,  and  dull, 
cruel  eyes — one  to  inspire  distrust,  not  admiration.  He 
wore  the  Eastern  dress,  but  without  ornaments,  except 
that  the  tassel  of  the  red/<?z  he  wore  instead  of  a  turban, 
was  looped  up  by  a  magnificent  diamond ;  and  on  his 
finger  sparkled  a  ruby  of  great  size  and  value. 

His  manners,  like  those  of  all  high-born  Turks,  were 
bland  and  polished ;  for  in  ease,  courtesy,  and  all  that 
constitutes  deportment,  the  Eastern  certainly  excels  the 
Western  man.  He  may  be  unable  to  read  or  write,  his 
conversation  consists  of  bald  commonplaces  about  the 
weather,  and  the  most  agreeable  part  of  the  visit,  after 
taking  pipes  and  coffee,  is  the  moment  of  departure ;  but 
Lord  Chesterfield  himself  could  not  improve  the  manners 
of  the  courteous  gentleman,  who,  in  his  inmost  heart, 
looks  upon  you  as  less  than  the  dust  beneath  his  feet — as 
"  a  dog  of  an  unbeliever  !  " 

Abbas  Pasha,  unlike  the  rest  of  his  family,  knew  no 
European  language ;  so  the  conversation  —  after  the 
formal  reception-speeches  had  been  disposed  of — passed 
through  the  interpreter,  French  being  the  medium  of  com- 
munication. This  the  interpreter  translated  into  Turkish, 
the  Court  language,  in  preference  to  the  Arabic.  No 
one  who  has  not  tried  it  can  tell  how  embarrassing  it  is 
to  have  his  simple  remark  of  its  ' '  being  rather  a  warm 
day,"  gravely  announced  in  French,  to  an  obsequious 
gentleman  covered  with  gold  embroidery,  who  imme- 
diately dilutes  it  into  Turkish  for  the  edification  of  the 


72  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

Viceroy,  who,  through  the  same  medium,  and  with  many 
changes  of  tongue,  solemnly  responds  "he  thinks  it  is." 

Pipes  and  coffee,  however,  such  as  can  never  be  had  out 
of  the  East,  agreeably  fill  up  the  intervals  of  conversa- 
tion ;  for  your  Turk  is  a  taciturn  animal,  and  considers 
much  talk  undignified. 

The  pipes  on  this  occasion  were  chibouques,  with 
stems  of  jessamine,  or  cherry-wood,  six  feet  in  length  — 
the  mouth-pieces  being  amber,  with  circlets  of  precious 
stones.  Some  of  the  stems,  also,  had  serpents  of  jewels 
winding  round  them.  The  zarfs,  or  coffee-cup  holders, 
were  also  incrusted  with  diamonds  and  rubies;  the  cups 
themselves  being  egg-shells  of  porcelain,  transparent  as 
glass. 

Having  disposed  of  three  relays  of  pipes  and  coffee  — 
for  as  fast  as  one  was  finished,  the  silent,  swift  domestics 
replenished  it  —  and  having  exchanged  complimentary 
speeches  with  the  Viceroy  on  their  respective  countries 
to  mutual  satisfaction,  the  consul-general  rose  to  go. 
Then,  at  a  sign  from  his  master,  one  of  the  officials 
rushed  up  and  threw  over  his  head  a  gilt  cord,  to  which 
was  attached  a  Damascus  scimitar  —  thus  investing  him 
with  the  sabre  d' honneur,  as  a  compliment  from  the 
Viceroy.  Thus  doubly  armed,  for  he  wore  his  own 
Court  sword  as  a  part  of  his  uniform,  the  consul-gene- 
ral exchanged  parting  salutations  with  the  Viceroy,  and 
passed  into  the  court-yard. 

Here  he  found  the  carriages  and  escort  drawn  up  to 
receive  him ;  and  he  also  beheld  a  handsome  horse,  gayly 
and  richly  caparisoned  —  another  gift  from  his  princely 
entertainer.  He  had  been  previously  notified  that  such 
was  the  usage  on  the  presentation  of  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  Great  Powers ;  of  which  there  were,  in 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  73 

Egyptian  reckoning,  five  only,  England,  France,  Russia, 
Austria,  and  America — neither  Prussia  nor  Italy  having 
at  that  time  risen  to  the  dignity  they  have  since  obtained. 

On  returning  to  his  consulate,  the  new  functionary 
found  he  was  expected  to  pay  for  these  gifts — not  to  the 
Viceroy,  but  to  the  guard  of  honor  —  in  the  shape  of  cus- 
tomary presents  to  the  amount  of  a  hundred  pounds  ster- 
ling. This  was  distributed  by  his  dragoman,  according 
to  a  well-understood  tariff,  each  officer  and  private  re- 
ceiving so  much  per  head,  and  regarding  it  not  as  a  favor 
but  as  a  right — wrangling  fiercely  with  the  dragoman  as 
to  the  amount,  and  paying  not  the  slightest  attention  to 
the  bleeding  victim,  who  that  day  learned  what  Eastern 
presents  cost. 

Throughout  the  East  this  system  of  making  presents 
and  expecting  much  more  valuable  ones  in  return  pre- 
vails, from  the  highest  functionaries  of  the  state  to  the 
lowest  servants  in  your  household.  It  is  not  improbable 
that  the  same  system  is  sometimes  adopted  in  the  West 
also,  but  not  so  openly. 

The  demeanor  of  the  Pasha  throughout  this  interview 
was  not  only  dignified  and  courteous,  but  most  flattering 
to  the  recipient,  who  had  every  reason  to  suppose  he  had 
produced  a  most  favorable  impression  —  so  smiling  and 
almost  affectionate  was  the  Viceroy's  adieu.  He  there- 
fore returned  to  receive  his  colleagues  —  who,  according 
to  etiquette,  were  to  pay  him  a  formal  visit  in  full  uniform 
and  state — well  satisfied  with  the  potentate  of  Egypt  and 
with  himself. 
7 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   VICEROY    IN    PRIVATE. 

THE  heavy  curtains  of  the  doorway  had  scarcely 
fallen  after  the  last  of  the  consul's  cortege,  and 
the  sound  of  retreating  footsteps  had  not  ceased  to  echo 
in  the  corridor,  when  a  sudden  and  striking  change  came 
over  the  mien  and  aspect  of  the  Viceroy,  who  had  played 
the  courteous  host  so  well.  He  stretched  himself  wearily, 
like  an  actor  who  has  finished  rehearsing  a  tedious  part ; 
the  smile  faded  from  his  face,  and  he  scowled  savagely 
after  his  departing  guests.  The  countenance,  so  pleasing 
the  moment  before,  darkened,  and  a  frown  contracted 
the  heavy  brows  over  the  dull,  blood-shot  eyes,  out  of 
which  gleamed  an  evil  light.  The  ease  and  dignity  of 
demeanor  which  had  characterized  him  during  the  late 
interview,  were  replaced  by  irritable  impatience  and  un- 
restrained ill-humor. 

He  hurled  away  from  him  the  chibouque  he  had  been 
smoking,  so  violently  that  the  precious  amber  mouth-piece, 
surrounded  by  brilliants,  was  detached  and  rolled  upon 
the  floor ;  bounded  from  his  divan  like  a  wild  beast,  and 
poured  from  his  lips  a  volley  of  terrible  Eastern  impre- 
cations upon  the  bodies  and  souls  of  his  terrified  and 
cowering  officials !  When  the  first  storm  of  his  passion 

74 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  75 

had  subsided,  he  threw  himself  back  upon  his  divan,  and 
commanded  his  master  of  ceremonies  to  be  summoned 
again  into  his  presence. 

The  cowering  official  appeared,  his  knees  trembling, 
his  body  bent  almost  prostrate,  and  his  face  exhibiting 
the  extreme  of  abject  fear,  as  he  knelt  down  to  kiss  the 
hem  of  his  master's  robe. 

Brutally  repulsing  the  kneeling  man,  with  a  violent 
kick  from  his  foot  Abbas  sent  him  rolling  backward  on 
the  floor,  while  he  screamed  out  mixed  curses  and  orders 
that  his  sword  and  insignia  of  rank  should  be  take?:  from 
him.  These  insults  were  received  with  true  Oriental 
submission  by  the  disgraced  functionary,  who  again 
prostrated  himself,  and  asked  in  humble  tones : 

"O  Effendina!  (great  lord)  may  the  meanest  of  thy 
slaves  dare  ask  how  he  has  incurred  thy  sovereign  dis- 
pleasure, that  he  may  show  his  repentance,  and  strive  to 
atone  for  his  fault ! ' ' 

''Son  of  a  dog !  grandson  of  an  ass  !  — whose  mother's 
grave  may  swine  defile  !  —  how  hast  thou  dared  to  admit 
into  our  presence,  under  foreign  protection,  that  dog  of 
a  Copt  Christian,  Askaros?  He  has  dared  to  defy  me, 
and  laugh  at  my  beard  in  disobeying  my  orders  not  to 
seek  that  protection !  By  the  soul  of  the  Prophet !  he 
shall  rue  it.  And  explain  why  thou  shalt  not  be  sent  to 
Fazougli,  for  thy  share  in  this  insult ! ' ' 

"The  life  and  fortunes  of  thy  slave  are  thine,  O 
Effendina!"  was  the  trembling  reply:  "and  thy  wrath 
is  just.  But  let  it  not  fall  on  the  head  of  the  innocent. 
The  fault  was  not  mine ;  for  the  Copt  had  warning  from 
me  as  to  the  will  and  pleasure  of  my  sovereign  lord,  and 
so  had  the  consul-general ;  but '  both  disregarded  my 
warning — and  thy  slave  dared  not,  without  thy  special 


76  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

orders,  refuse  admittance  to  any  one  in  the  company  of 
the  consul." 

"Peki!  "  ('T  is  well !)  answered  Abbas,  whose  first  burst 
of  wrath  seemed  passing  over.  ' '  Still,  thou  shouldst  have 
shown  better  management,  and  impressed  my  wishes 
more  strongly.  My  sight  has  been  offended  by  the  pres- 
ence of  this  dog  !  and  his  presumption  must  be  punished. 
Thou  canst  only  regain  my  favor  by  showing  me  how 
this  may  be  done." 

"If  his  Highness  will  permit,  his  slave  may  be  able 
to  do  this  thing.  Already  steps  have  been  taken  to 
avenge  my  lord  for  this  outrage, ' '  replied  the  still  kneel- 
ing official. 

"Come  with  me,  then,"  said  Abbas,  suddenly  re- 
membering that  the  audience-chamber,  filled  with  the 
high  dignitaries  of  his  empire,  was  not  the  proper  place 
to  discuss  such  matters.  "Come  with  me,  and  I  will 
listen  in  private  to  thy  explanations."  And  rising  up, 
attended  on  each  side  by  an  obsequious  functionary  who 
supported  his  elbows,  he  shuffled  out  of  the  room, 
followed  by  the  master  of  ceremonies,  whom  all  the 
other  courtiers  carefully  avoided  in  this  hour  of  his  dis- 
grace. Abbas  passed  on  to  his  own  private  apartment, 
at  the  door  of  which  was  stationed  a  guard,  commanded 
by  one  of  his  most  trusted  officers ;  and,  making  a  sign 
to  the  rest  not  to  enter,  permitted  only  the  master  of 
ceremonies  to  pass  within.  Then  throwing  himself  on 
a  divan,  he  cried  with  fierce  impatience: 

"Explain  thy  meaning !  What  steps  have  been  taken 
to  punish  the  Copt  dog,  who  has  strewn  filth  on  my 
father's  grave !  " 

"Lord  of  my  life!  We  have  discovered  his  secret 
foe  in  the  person  of  his  most  trusted  friend,  who  pos- 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  77 

sesses  all  his  secrets  and  those  of  his  family,  and  whose 
hate  can  be  made  to  minister  to  the  justice  of  Effendina. 
That  man  now  awaits  the  pleasure  of  my  lord,  who  can 
himself  question  him,  and  learn  all  he  has  to  tell." 

"Admit  him!"  was  the  brief  response.  "But  first 
tell  me  who  and  what  he  is,  and  how  he  can  be  useful  in 
this  matter." 

"His  name  is  Daoud-ben-Youssouf, "  answered  the 
official.  "During  the  absence  in  Europe  for  several 
years  of  the  young  Askaros,  he  was  the  confidential 
secretary  of  his  father,  and  the  inmate  of  his  house ; 
only  resigning  that  position  when  the  young  man  re- 
turned, eight  months  since.  He* still  possesses  the  con- 
fidence of  both  father  and  son,  and  is  the  most  intimate 
associate  of  the  latter ;  for,  though  not  educated  in  Eu- 
rope, he  knows  much  of  the  language  and  habits  of  the 
Franks." 

"Has  he  been  badly  treated  by  father  or  son?" 
asked  the  Viceroy. 

"On  the  contrary,  Highness;  they  have  overwhelmed 
him  with  favors  ! ' ' 

"  Why,  then,  does  he  hate  them,  and  seek  to  do  them 
injury?" 

"  Highness,  it  is  the  same  cause  which  ruined  our 
great  father,  Adam.  They  say  the  daughter  of  the  old 
Askaros  is  fair  to  look  upon ;  and  these  Christian  dogs 
permit  their  young  men  to  look  upon  the  unveiled  faces 
of  their  women.  So  the  young  Daoud  sought  to  gain 
her  in  marriage,  and  attributes  the  rejection  of  his  suit 
to  the  young  Askaros.  So  did  I  learn  through  a  trusty 
spy  I  have  had  among  the  servants  of  that  household  for 
some  time  past.  Therefore  did  I  seek  this  youth,  and 
had  many  conferences  with  him.  Now  we  understand 


78  ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS. 

each  other.  Did  I  dare  to  name  such  a  worm  of  the 
dust  in  the  same  breath  as  your  Highness,  I  should  say 
his  hatred  of  the  Copt,  Askaros,  equals  that  with  which 
your  Highness  has  deigned  to  honor  the  unbelieving 
dog  !  But  he  insists  upon  seeing  your  Highness  per- 
sonally." 

"He  is  over-zealous,  or  over-bold,"  answered  the 
Pasha,  frowning  darkly.  But  the  next  moment  a  cruel 
smile  wrinkled  the  corners  of  his  mouth,  as  he  added  : 
"Doubtless,  Mahmoud  Bey,  he  is  dissatisfied  as  to  your 
power  or  authority  fitly  to  reward  him,  and  seeks  the 
assurance  from  myself.  By  the  tomb  of  the  Prophet ! 
he  shall  have  it.  Admit  him." 

The  suddenly  disgraced  and  as  suddenly  reinstated 
official  retired  backward  from  the  presence  of  his  mas- 
ter ;  but  the  moment  after  returned,  accompanied  by  a 
slight,  tall  young  man,  clad  in  the  Coptish  dress.  He 
made  a  profound,  but  not  abject  salutation,  to  the  Vice- 
roy, -without  prostrating  himself,  or  kissing  the  hem  of 
his  robe ;  then  folding  his  arms  over  his  chest,  seemed 
to  await  the  latter' s  pleasure. 

Abbas  gazed  upon  him  with  surprise,  so  young  and 
girlish-looking  was  the  face,  so  gentle  and  subdued  the 
expression  of  the  young  stranger's  countenance ;  the 
oval  outline,  soft  and  beardless,  save  the  mere  pencilling 
of  a  dark  mustache ;  and  the  smooth,  fair  skin,  unfur- 
rowed  by  a  single  strong  line  or  wrinkle.  But  Abbas 
Pasha,  like  all  Turks,  was  a  skilful  physiognomist,  and 
he  looked  again  and  more  closely  upon  the  face  be- 
fore him.  The  Syrian  suddenly  looked  up,  and  the 
Viceroy  caught  his  eye  and  was  satisfied  the  face  was 
only  a  mask.  For  at  that  moment  the  passions  which 
agitated  the  heart  shone  through  the  windows  of  the 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  79 

soul,  and  the  real  nature  of  the  man  was  revealed,  as 
though  by  a  lightning  flash,  to  the  great  adept  in  evil 
before  whom  he  stood.  The  expression  swiftly  passed 
from  the  telltale  mirror,  and  the  next  moment  the  eye 
was  as  calm  and  expressionless  as  the  other  features. 

"A  real  young  tiger-cat!"  muttered  the  Viceroy, 
under  his  beard  ;  and  there  was  something  in  the  gliding, 
elastic  movement  of  the  body,  and  in  the  sleepy  softness 
of  the  greenish-brown  eye  of  the  young  Syrian,  that 
made  the  comparison  an  apt  one.  His  dress  was  that 
of  the  ordinary  Coptish  accountant — a  full  black  turban 
over  a  closely-shorn,  but  unshaven  head ;  a  long  gown 
of  striped  Syrian  silk,  falling  like  a  robe  to  his  feet,  and 
a  white  under-vest,  with  a  row  of  small  silken  buttons, 
coming  up  high  on  the  neck,  around  which  he  wore  no 
covering  of  any  sort.  A  Syrian  sash  wound  around  his 
waist ;  and  into  this  was  thrust  a  large  silver  inkstand, 
supported  by  its  handle  within  the  folds,  and  a  large  pen 
of  the  same  material.  The  only  ornaments  he  wore  were 
the  signet  ring  on  the  forefinger  of  his  right  hand,  and  a 
large  diamond  on  the  little  finger  of  his  left.  After 
gazing  on  him  some  time  in  silence,  the  Viceroy  spoke  : 
"  Mahmoud  Bey  tells  me  you  know  something  which  it 
befits  me  to  hear,"  he  said.  "You  are  permitted  to 
speak." 

Steadily  and  calmly  the  Syrian  replied  : 

"  May  the  shadow  of  Effendina  never  be  less  !  I  am 
told  by  Mahmoud  Bey  that  your  Highness  seeks  some 
information  as  to  the  public  administration  of  Askaros, 
the  elder,  whose  private  Wakeel  (secretary)  I  was,  when 
he  was  Khasnadar,  (treasurer,)  under  the  reign  of  his 
late  Highness,  Mehemet  Ali.  Although  Askaros  was 
my  employer  and  my  patron,  yet,  Highness,  my  first 


80  ASKAROS    JCASSIS. 

duty  is  to  my  Viceroy,  and  I  am  ready  to  reveal  all  I 
know.  Ask,  then,  and  it  shall  be  answered." 

A  red  flush  passed  over  the  face  of  Abbas,  partly  of 
pleasure  at  securing  so  useful  a  tool ;  partly  of  anger  at 
the  calm  audacity  of  the  beardless  boy,  whom  he  con- 
sidered as  less  than  dust  beneath  his  feet,  in  thus  daring 
to  assume  community  of  purpose  between  them.  He 
did  not,  therefore,  deign  to  reply  to  the  Syrian,  but, 
turning  to  Mahmoud  Bey,  coldly  said  : 

"  Tell  him  that  I  approve  of  his  zeal,  and  that  it  shall 
not  go  unrewarded.  I  doubt  not  there  have  been  grave 
abuses  in  that  administration;  and  he  who  furnishes 
proofs  of  them  merits  and  shall  have  rich  compensation. 
I  shall  instruct  you  when  and  how  to  interrogate  him  on 
the  subject.  Now  he  may  go." 

The  calm  face  of  the  Syrian  manifested  no  emotion, 
either  of  pleasure  or  confusion,  as  the  Viceroy  uttered 
these  words.  He  allowed  Mahmoud  Bey  to  repeat  them 
to  him,  as  though  he  had  not  heard  them;  then  courte- 
ously, but  firmly,  responded  through  him. 

"  Say  to  the  Effendina,  that  it  is  to  him  alone  that  I 
can  communicate  these  matters  in  the  first  instance  ;  and 
that  without  a  witness.  Otherwise  my  lips  are  sealed. 
My  life  is  his,  but  my  secret  is  my  own  ;  and  I  have  that 
to  repeat  to  him,  I  may  say  to  none  beside  himself." 

The  face  of  Abbas  underwent  a  sinister  change  as  the 
daring  youth  uttered  these  words.  His  swollen  features 
grew  purple  with  passion,  and  the  veins  rose  like  cords 
upon  his  temples.  He  clutched  at  the  band  around  his 
neck  as  though  it  were  stifling  him ;  and  his  broad  chest 
heaved  as  he  panted  for  breath.  His  eyes  seemed  to 
emit  a  dull  red  flame,  like  that  of  the  cobra,  as  he  fastened 
it  upon  the  rash  speaker  who  thus  braved  him,  and  dared 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  8l 

to  propose  terms,  as  though  to  an  equal.  But  ere  the 
torrent  of  invective  and  wrath,  which  these  signs  pre- 
saged, burst  forth,  the  young  man  spoke  again  to  avert  it ; 
and  this  time  with  far  greater  show  of  reverence  in  his 
manner  than  he  had  yet  assumed. 

"Let  not  the  wrath  of  my  lord,  the  Effendina,"  he 
said,  "be  kindled  against  the  humblest  of  his  slaves,  who 
means  no  want  of  reverence,  nor  dares  disobey  his  sover- 
eign will.  But  there  are  things  which  it  befits  his  private 
ear  alone  to  hear ;  and  I,  therefore,  humbly  crave  a  few 
words  alone." 

So  saying,  the  Syrian  bent  his  knee  and  bowed  his  fore- 
head in  the  dust,  in  Oriental  reverence.  The  cloud 
passed  from  the  brow  of  Abbas,  though  the  hatred  rose 
in  his  heart  against  this  astute  plotter,  who  dared  thus,  as 
he  plainly  saw,  to  play  with  him.  But  he  thought  it  best 
to  extract  his  secret,  and  use  before  he  punished  him. 
Therefore  he  spoke  again  to  Mahmoud  Bey : 

"  I  pardon  the  rudeness  of  this  youth,  in  consideration 
of  his  ignorance,  and  because  his  lack  of  discretion  may 
be  compensated  by  his  zeal.  As  this  concerns  grave 
public  interests,  I  will  permit  him  to  impart  it  to  my 
private  ear — but  stand  just  outside  the  door,  and  should 
I  clap  my  hands,  enter  immediately.  Come  hither  first. ' ' 
And,  bending  his  head,  he  whispered  in  the  ear  of  Mah- 
moud, "Tell  Ruschid  Pasha,  captain  of  the  guard,  to 
post  himself  at  the  secret  entrance  just  behind  me  ;  and, 
at  the  least  sign  of  danger,  to  shoot  this  stranger.  He 
may  mean  misceief. ' ' 

Mahmoud  Bey  made  his  reverence,  and  withdrew. 

"Now  speak,"  said  the  Viceroy.  "  Why  did  you  ask 
to  tell  your  tale  alone  ?  ' ' 

F 


82  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

"  Highness,  may  I  speak  fearlessly  without  giving 
offence  ? ' ' 

"  It  is  permitted  you  to  speak  !  " 

"Highness,  I  could  do  a  great  service — I  can  .rid 
you  of  a  dangerous  enemy  and  give  you  a  fair  excuse  to 
confiscate  his  great  estates  and  his  vast  wealth.  And  I 
can,  moreover, tell  you  where  to  find  that  wealth.  But, 
Effendina,  you  must  let  me  name  my  price  ! ' ' 

"Slave!"  roared  the  Viceroy,  "do  you  dare  pro- 
pose a  bargain  to  me,  your  lord  and  master  !  Do  you 
not  know  that  for  less  insolence  I  might  have  you  flayed 
alive  !  — scourged  to  death  ?  —  or  that  at  a  word  from  me 
the  rest  of  your  life  would  be  passed  in  a  dungeon?  Do 
you  not  know  your  living  tomb  may  be  gaping  for  you 
even  now  ? ' ' 

A  shudder  ran  through  the  slight  form  of  the  Syrian, 
but  still  he  answered  firmly : 

"All  this  I  know,  O  Effendina !  All  this  I  thought  of 
before  I  came  ;  but  my  mind  is  made  up,  and  wild  horses 
cannot  tear  my  secret  from  me,  except  on  my  own  terms. ' ' 

The  very  audacity  of  the  reply,  coming  from  such  a 
source,  was  not  without  its  charm  for  Abbas,  whose  com- 
plex character  often  puzzled  those  who  thought  they  knew 
him  best.  Looking  over  the  slight  figure  before  him, 
from  head  to  foot,  he  burst  into  a  roar  of  laughter,  as 
though  the  contrast  between  the  speaker  and  his  words 
had  been  too  much  for  his  gravity. 

"By  the  beard  of  my  father!"  he  cried.  "Who 
would  have  thought  to  find  the  soul  of  the  Persian  Antar 
under  the  frock  of  a  Syrian  scribe  !  — who,  with  no  other 
weapons  than  his  pen  and  ink-horn,  braves  Abbas  Pasha 
to  his  very  beard  !  —  Ho  !  ho  !  ho  !  "  —  and  he  laughed 
again,  until  the  tears  trickled  down  his  cheeks  and  he 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  83 

stopped  from  sheer  exhaustion.  "Name  thy  price,  then," 
he  added,  on  recovering  his  breath,  as  though  he  were 
still  humoring  a  capital  joke. 

"  My  price,"  answered  the  Syrian,  boldly,  for  he  saw 
he  could  not  long  depend  on  the  changing  moods  of  the 
capricious  tyrant — "My  price  for  my  secret  is — death 
or  banishment  for  father  and  son  !  and  that  the  daughter 
may  be  given  to  me  as  my  wife,  with  a  dower  of  two 
hundred  purses,  when  the  work  is  done." 

"Is  she  then  so  lovely,  this  maiden?"  asked  the 
Pasha,  scoffingly,  fixing  his  small  eyes — over  which  a 
dull  film  seemed  to  pass,  as  over  those  of  venomous  rep- 
tiles —  full  upon  his  rash  interlocutor,  whose  cheek  paled 
visibly  at  the  question. 

' '  Highness,  no/"  the  Syrian  answered  quickly.  ' '  She 
is  not ;  nor  in  any  way  attractive  !  It  is  hate,  not  love, 
which  prompts  me.  I  seek  that  the  daughter  of  mine 
enemy  may  serve  as  my  handmaid  !  ' ' 

Abbas  laughed  again ;  but  there  was  more  mockery 
than  mirth  in  this  explosion. 

"Fool,  as  well  as  liar!"  he  cried;  "why  seek  to 
deceive  me  !  I  know  now  the  secret  of  thy  heart,  but  it 
matters  not  to  me  ;  I  covet  not  thy  maiden.  Give  my 
council  the  proofs,  or  put  them  in  the  way  to  do  the 
things  thou  hast  promised,  and  I  swear  by  the  tomb  of 
the  Prophet,  and  by  my  own  soul,  the  wishes  of  thy  heart 
shall  be  granted.  But  mark  me  well !  "  — and  his  voice 
sank  into  a  savage  snarl  —  "if  thou  deceivest  me — if 
thou  seduce  my  council  into  commencing  a  prosecution 
that  cannot  be  sustained  and  carried  out  without  creating 
scandal,  here  and  at  Stamboul  —  better  far  for  thee  hadst 
thou  never  been  born  !  For  living  thou  shalt  taste  the 


84  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

pains  of  Eblis,  and  pray  for  death  as  deliverance  from 
the  doom  that  awaits  thee  ! 

"And  now,  false  hound,  that  hath  turned  to  bite  the 
hand  that  hath  fed  thee,  go !  Among  all  the  Nazarene 
dogs  that  blaspheme  the  name  of  the  holy  Prophet,  can 
be  found  none  so  vile  as  thyself;  but  remember !  thy 
sleek  head  now  is  under  the  paw  of  the  tiger !  Go  now 
and  do  thy  work ;  but  do  it  not  negligently,  or  woe  unto 
thee !  — Thou  art  warned ! 

"Pollute  my  sight  no  longer  with  thy  presence,  and 
thy  rottenness.  Strange  !  that  Allah  should  have  put  so 
smooth  a  mask  over  so  black  a  soul ! ' ' 

As  he  closed,  he  clapped  his  hands,  and  several  attend- 
ants entered. 

"Mahmoud  Bey,"  the  Pasha  said,  "take  your  friend 
away.  And,"  he  added,  in  a  lower  tone,  "bid  him  be 
silent  as  to  this  interview." 

His  orders  were  obeyed. 

While  the  Viceroy  had  been  giving  his  parting  bene- 
diction, the  Syrian's  head  had  been  bowed  down  on  his 
breast,  as  though  in  deep  abasement  or  contrition.  Not 
a  muscle  of  his  face  changed,  not  a  nerve  of  his  frame 
quivered ;  but  his  pride,  which  was  great,  writhed  within 
him  under  each  stroke  of  scorn,  like  a  fierce  lash  lacerat- 
ing his  soul.  And  all  the  more  because  he  knew  the 
tyrant's  words  were  just,  did  the  barb  fasten  the  arrow 
in  the  wound,  to  remain  there  festering  for  ever !  The 
Viceroy  but  echoed  the  voice  of  his  own  conscience. 

But  as  Saul  wrestled  in  vain  with  the  evil  spirit,  so  did 
his  descendant — tempted  as  sorely  as  he;  and  the  evil 
elements  in  his  nature  hardened  under  the  fire  which 
should  have  melted  them. 

With  eyes  downcast,  that  the  lurid  fires  that  blazed  in 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  85 

them  might  not  be  seen,  and  with  hell  raging  in  the  heart 
that  seemed  scarcely  to  beat  under  his  silken  mantle,  the 
Syrian  stripling  registered  another  vow  of  vengeance, 
when  his  first  debt  should  have  been  paid — and  this 
time  it  was  against  his  accomplice  and  his  king ! 

And  so,  after  having  made  their  evil  compact,  prince 
and  subject  parted  with  hate  and  scorn  rankling  in  the 
souls  of  each ;  and  the  seeds  of  mutual  sin  sown  in  two 
souls  that  day,  were  destined  to  bring  forth  bitter  fruit  in 
the  future. 
8 


CHAPTER   VII. 

HAWK   AND    DOVE. 

ON  a  bright  morning  of  the  succeeding  week,  in  one 
of  the  oldest  and  dingiest  of  the  tall  stone  houses 
fronting  the  Ezbekieh,  sat  the  young  Syrian,  diligently 
engaged  in  writing.  He  was  squatted  on  a  divan  covered 
with  torn,  faded,  and  dirty  chintz,  and,  crouched  among 
the  cushions,  wrote  upon  his  knee,  in  place  of  book  or 
table.  Long,  narrow  strips  of  paper  were  strewn  round 
him  on  the  floor,  with  Arab  characters  and  numerals 
traced  upon  them;  and  everything  in  the  small  room 
seemed  dirty  and  disorderly,  except  the  occupant,  who 
looked  as  sleek  and  spotless  as  was  the  animal  to  which 
the  Viceroy  had  likened  him. 

The  contrast  between  the  appearance  of  the  man  and 
the  poverty-stricken  squalid  appearance  of  the  room,  was 
very  marked ;  and  the  noises  from  the  street  would  have 
disturbed  any  less  concentrated  attention,  not  to  mention 
the  fact  that  contiguous  to  this  room  was  the  stable  of 
his  donkey,  whose  proximity  was  made  evident  to  several 
senses  at  once. 

Unmindful  of  these  various  annoyances,  that  use  had 
made  second  nature  to  him,  the  young  scribe  worked  on ; 
and  so  absorbed  was  he  in  his  labors,  that  he  only  became 

86 


AS  A' A  It  OS    KASSIS.  8/ 

aware  of  the  presence  of  a  visitor  when  a  clear,  familiar 
voice  sounded  close  to  his  ear,  and  caused  him  to  start, 
till  he  almost  upset  the  inkstand  he  had  taken  from  his 
girdle  and  placed  on  the  divan  beside  him. 

"Salaam  Aleikoum!"  (Peace  be  with  you!)  said  the 
new-comer.  "The  bee  is  busy,  as  usual,  I  see,  but  I 
much  doubt  if  it  be  honey  he  is  making." 

"  Aleikoum  es  Salaam  /"  (Peace  be  also  with  you  !) 
was  the  response.  "I  am  making  bread,  not  honey,  for 
my  labors  are  anything  but  sweet." 

"Your  workshop  certainly  is  not,"  said  Askaros,  laugh- 
ing. "So,  unless  you  prefer  your  donkey's  society  to 
mine,  or  are  too  busy  to  smoke  a  chibouque  with  me, 
come  up  stairs  to  your  sitting-room,  for  it  is  long  since  I 
have  seen  you,  and  I  have  many  things  to  say. ' ' 

"Most  willingly  will  I  exchange  this  dull  work  for 
your  pleasant  society,"  replied  the  young  Syrian,  whose 
manner,  though  deferential,  was  not  humble  toward  his 
more  fortunate  friend.  "I  rejoice  that  you  have  visited 
my  poor  house,  for  I  long  to  talk  with  you.  You  know," 
he  added  with  a  bitter  smile,  "I  might  as  well  converse 
with  my  long-eared  friend  in  the  next  room  as  with  most 
of  my  ordinary  companions,  who  twit  me  with  being  two- 
thirds  a  Frank — thanks  to  your  example." 

So  saying,  he  arose,  and,  leaving  the  papers  strewn 
over  the  divan,  locked  the  door,  and  motioned  Askaros 
to  precede  him  up  the  steep  and  winding  stone  steps  which 
led  to  the  upper  apartments.  At  the  head  of  these  steps 
the  young  men  passed  into  a  good-sized  room,  over- 
looking the  Ezbekieh,  in  which  was  none  of  the  dirt  and 
squalor  visible  below,  though  it  contained  no  other  furni- 
ture than  long  divans  covered  with  chintz,  running  round 
its  sides.  It  had,  however,  glass  windows  without  cur- 


88  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

tains,  which  gave  it  a  more  civilized  air.  Daoud  clapped 
his  hands,  and  a  servant  appeared,  who  immediately  pro- 
ceeded to  fill  pipes;  and,  seating  themselves  on  the  divan 
in  front  of  the  window,  the  two  young  men  coiled  up 
their  legs,  and  commenced  smoking  vigorously.  Askaros 
spoke  first. 

"You  do  not  ask  me,  O  Daoud,"  he  said,  "the  cause 
of  my  infrequent  visits  to  you  of  late.  Are  you  not 
curious  to  know  ? ' ' 

"Curiosity  is  the  quality  of  a  woman,  not  of  a  man," 
the  other  answered.  "Far  less  does  it  become  a  friend 
to  pry  into  the  secrets  of  one  so  high  above  him.  I  was 
satisfied  your  absence  did  not  arise  from  any  offence  I 
could  have  given  you;  and,  therefore,  though  I  missed 
much  your  society,  I  was  satisfied  with  that." 

"Spoken  like  a  sage!"  cried  Askaros,  laughing 
again.  "  But  you  would  like  to  know,  nevertheless,  and 
I  want  to  tell  you." 

"Of  course  some  fair  Houri  has  caused  your  ab- 
sence," replied  the  Syrian.  "I  well  know  the  tempta- 
tions to  which  you  are  exposed,  and  the  facility  with 
which  you  yield  to  them.  But  I  fear  to  give  offence, 
else  I  would  ask,  do  you  not  fear  to  anger  the  Khanum, 
(great  lady,)  whose  eyes  are  everywhere,  and  whose 
jealousy  is  as  fatal  as  her  love?" 

"  No  fear  of  that !  for  two  reasons,"  Askaros  hastened 
to  answer.  "For,  though  you  are  right,  and  there  is  a 
woman  at  the  bottom  of  it,  yet  it  is  not  the  usual  thing  at 
all ;  and  the  woman  belongs  to  and  moves  in  a  different 
world  from  ours  and  the  Khanum's." 

"  One  of  the  genii,  or  a  fairy  princess,  perhaps,"  said 
the  Syrian.  "But  cease  your  transports,  and  tell  me 


ASKAROS    KASSJS.  89 

who,  what,  and  where  she  is,  that  my  senses  also  may  be 
gladdened  by  glimpses  of  paradise  and  the  Houris." 

"I  can  answer  all  of  your  queries  in  one  word," 
responded  Askaros,  pointing  with  his  finger  toward  the 
Ezbekieh.  "Behold!" 

The  Syrian's  eye  followed  the  direction  of  the  finger, 
and  he  saw  the  party  from  the  hotel  slowly  strolling 
down  the  broad  path  in  front  of  the  coffee-house. 

"Ingleezef"  he  said.  " Sitta  Miriam!  (Holy  Vir- 
gin!) but  the  young  one  is  lovely.  Binta  quiesa,  quiesa 
kitteer  !  (A  beautiful  maiden — very  beautiful !)  but  more 
like  a  fairy  than  a  woman,  to  my  taste." 

"  Well,  is  she  not  sufficient  apology  for  my  absence?" 
laughed  Askaros,  gayly.  "  I  have  been  actually  playing 
dragoman  to  the  whole  party  for  the  last  two  weeks  ! 
You,  who  know  how  tame  and  tiresome  sight-seeing  is 
to  me,  can  guess  how  pleasant  must  have  been  my  pay- 
ment, to  make  me  go  through  with  it." 

The  Syrian  did  not  reply,  but  he  fixed  his  eyes  upon 
the  young  girl  with  a  strained  intensity,  as  though  to 
make  a  mental  photograph  of  every  line  in  her  face  and 
figure,  for  some  minutes.  Then  again  he  only  repeated  : 
' '  Quiesa  kitteer  —  kitteer  ! ' ' 

Briefly,  but  with  much  animation,  did  Askaros  de- 
scribe to  him  the  incidents  of  their  acquaintance  and 
intercourse ;  to  which  the  other  listened  in  silence  until 
he  had  finished. 

' '  Have  you  seen  the  Khanum  in  the  interval  ? "  he 
then  asked  again.  "I  tell  you,  her  eyes  never  close, 
and  she  has  heard  of  your  Frank  fairy  long  ere  this. 
She  is  not  to  be  trifled  with  !  Those  who  play  with 
panthers,  must  keep  the  fur  smooth  by  rubbing  it  the 
8* 


gO  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

right  way.  And  no  panther  was  ever  more  treacherous 
or  more  deadly  than  she." 

"I  know!  I  know!"  said  Askaros,  impatiently. 
"Trouble  not  yourself  about  that;  nor  couple  in  the 
same  thought,  nor  name  in  the  same  breath,  two  crea- 
tures as  widely  apart  as  the  good  and  evil  genii !  The 
Khanum  may  be  a  panther,  but  I  know  a  spell  can  tame 
her." 

The  Syrian  bowed  his  head,  as  though  in  apology, 
and  changed  the  subject,  which  he  saw  was  not  an 
agreeable  one. 

"Why,  O  my  friend,"  said  Askaros,  affectionately, 
"will  you  persist  in  your  false  pride,  and  refuse  my 
father's  offers  of  service,  so  earnestly  and  so  pressingly 
made  ?  Why  live  this  hard  life  in  this  squalid  house,  so 
repugnant  to  your  delicate  and  fastidious  nature,  as  well 
as  to  your  training,  while  my  father's  Wakeel,  during 
the  years  of  my  absence  ?  He  again  charges  me  to 
tender  to  you  enough  of  capital  to  establish  yourself  in 
commerce,  at  which  you  can  surely  accumulate  a  rapid 
fortune ;  and,  to  spare  you  any  sense  of  obligation,  he 
consents  to  accept  a  share  of  the  large  profits  he  is  sure 
you  will  make.  Come,  my  friend,  be  reasonable.  Ac- 
cept this  offer. ' ' 

Tears  came  into  the  eyes  of  the  Syrian.  His  impress- 
ible nature  was  deeply  moved.  He  shook  his  head 
slowly : 

"I  cannot!"  he  said.  "But  do  not  think  me  un- 
grateful, nor  foolishly  proud,  that  I  do  not.  When  I 
was  your  father's  Wakeel,  had  I  accepted  what  was 
offered  me,  I  might  have  been  rich  to-day ;  but  I  came 
poor  out  of  his  service  —  rich  only  in  a  good  character 
and  in  your  friendship ;  and  I  believe  and  know  I  can 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  QI 

work  my  own  way  to  fortune.  Even  now  I  am  not  so 
poor  as  I  appear  to  be,  and  prefer  working  my  own  way 
still.  So  give  my  best  thanks  to  your  father,  and  tell 
him  this  from  me. ' ' 

There  was  a  pause,  before  assuming  a  graver  tone, 
and,  with  an  air  of  great  concern,  he  spoke  again,  more 
slowly  and  with  hesitation. 

"Askaros  Effendi,"  he  said,  "both,  you  and  your 
father  know  my  affection  and  fidelity  to  your  house,  and 
that  affection  may  make  me  nervous  when  there  is  no 
need ;  but  I  think  it  my  duty  to  warn  you  that  there  is 
danger  in  store  for  you  both." 

"How,  and  from  whom?"  asked  Askaros,  impressed 
by  the  tone  and  manner  of  the  Syrian ;  for  he  knew  him 
to  be  no  idle  babbler,  nor  given  to  foolish  fancies. 

"From  —  Abbas  Pasha!"  responded  Daoud,  in  a 
whisper,  and  glancing  cautiously  round,  to  be  sure  he 
was  not  overheard  ;  ' '  and  the  danger  takes  the  double 
shape  of  assaulting  your  father  for  his  administration  as 
Khasnadar,  and  of  punishing  you  for  daring  to  accept  a 
foreign  protection." 

' '  How  know  you  this  ?  or  what  induces  you  to  sus- 
pect it  ?  " 

"Your  friend,  Zoulfikar  Pasha,  who,  although  not  in 
favor,  yet  keeps  his  position  near  the  Viceroy,  and  who 
loves  you  much,  sent  his  confidential  Hakim  (physician) 
here  to  me,  that  I  might  warn  you.  I  know  of  nothing 
further." 

"You  have  a  clear,  cool  head,"  Askaros  answered, 
thoughtfully.  "What  is  your  counsel?  What  do  you 
advise  ? ' ' 

"  I  would  advise,  firstly,  that  your  father  should  pray 
the  Grand  Council  to  open  and  examine  his  accounts  — 


92  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

of  the  vouchers  for  which  you  know  I  have  duplicates. 
In  the  next  place,  I  would  counsel  you  to  resign  this 
place  in  the  foreign  consulate,  and  thus  propitiate  the 
wounded  pride  of  the  Viceroy.  Thus  may  you  both 
escape  the  wrath  of  Abbas,  and  be  taken  into  his  favor ; 
otherwise  I  fear  trouble  is  in  store  for  you  both." 

"You  astonish  me!"  exclaimed  Askaros,  opening 
wide  his  eyes,  in  amazement ;  ' '  you  actually  would 
counsel  us  to  put  ourselves — our  lives  and  our  fortunes 
—  absolutely  without  recourse  into  the  hands  of  Abbas 
Pasha !  What  sudden  blindness  has  stricken  you  that 
you  cannot  see  the  greater  perils  yawning  under  that 
course  ?  Do  you  believe  that  Abbas  has  suddenly  become 
just,  generous,  and  humane — that  to  the  wolf  can  be 
safely  confided  the  keeping  of  the  lamb?" 

"My  opinion  of  the  Viceroy  has  not  altered,  nor  do 
I  think  any  better  of  him  than  when  we  last  spoke," 
answered  Daoud,  without  raising  his  eyes.  "But  I  do 
believe  the  plan  I  propose  is  the  best,  to  disarm  him. 
You  best  know  how  far  you  can  count  on  the  protection 
of  your  consul-general,  in  case  of  violent  measures  on 
the  part  of  the  Viceroy.  With  reference  to  your  father's 
accounts,  that  is  a  matter  in  which  your  foreign  protec- 
tion cannot  intervene.  Think  on  these  things  seriously; 
for  I  believe  the  necessity  for  your  action  may  arise 
sooner  than  you  imagine.  But  count  always  on  my  aid, 
and  command  my  services  at  all  times,"  he  added, 
slowly;  "for  the  debt  I  owe  you  and  your  father,  I  hope 
I  may  live  to  pay  ! ' ' 

He  turned  his  head  away  as  he  spoke,  as  though  over- 
come by  emotion,  and  struggling  to  suppress  the  strong 
manifestation  of  his  gratitude.  But  had  Askaros  seen 
the  cruel,  sinister  smile  that  writhed  the  thin  lips,  and  the 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  93 

evil  glare  in  the  downcast  eye,  veiled  by  its  long,  femi- 
nine lashes,  he  would  better  have  understood  the  equivo- 
cal promise  that  had  just  been  made  him.  That  promise 
it  was  Daoud-ben-Youssouf's  intention  to  keep  to  the 
letter,  if  not  to  the  spirit,  with  his  too  confiding  listener 
— for  in  his  heart  at  that  moment  he  felt  a  foretaste  of  the 
pains  of  Eblis,  racked  and  torn  as  it  was  by  the  conflicting 
demons  of  Jealousy  and  Shame  —  Hatred  and  Remorse! 

But  the  brow  was  as  smooth  and  the  face  and  form  as 
still,  as  though  no  moral  tempest  were  making  havoc 
and  howling  wildly  through  his  soul.  For,  strong  as  was 
his  trial,  his  strength  to  master  it  was  greater  still.  Though 
his  pulses  bounded  through  his  arteries  at  fever -heat; 
though  his  brain  rocked  and  reeled  under  the  strife  of 
the  conflicting  emotions  that  rent  and  tore  him,  like  the 
man  possessed  of  devils  in  Holy  Writ — still  his  external 
calm  was  not  disturbed ;  though  he  listened  like  a  man 
in  a  dream,  and  without  comprehending  the  meaning  of 
the  words  which  his  friend  poured  into  his  ear. 

Until  the  day  of  his  death,  Daoud  never  knew  what 
that  friend  said,  at  the  close  of  their  interview.  He 
heard  the  sounds,  but  they  conveyed  no  meaning  to  his 
mind,  as  they  passed  to  it  through  the  ear.  He  answered 
mechanically,  and  must  have  done  so  fitly,  for  no  suspi- 
cion of  his  preoccupation  seemed  to  cross  the  mind  of 
his  friend;  and  when  the  conversation  flagged,  and 
Askaros  rose  to  take  his  leave — affectionately  rallying 
Daoud  on  his  seriousness  and  anxiety — the  Syrian  seemed 
to  awaken  as  though  from  a  trance. 

As  soon  as  he  was  alone,  he  sighed  heavily,  and 
grinding  his  teeth,  muttered : 

"Is  it  worth  the  price?  Is  it  worth  the  price?  And 
is  the  Book  right,  when  it  asks :  '  What  will  it  profit  a 


94  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

man  to  gain  the  whole  world,  if  he  lose  his  own  soul?' 
If  it  be  so,  as  the  priests  say,  then  woe  to  me  here  and 
hereafter!  But" — and  the  lines  of  his  feminine  counte- 
nance suddenly  hardened  from  softness  into  ferocity — 
' '  but  woe !  double  woe !  to  the  fools  who  have  driven 
me  to  this  damnable  treachery  to  gain  her,  without  whom 
my  life  would  be  but  one  hopeless  longing! — one  wak- 
ing and  breathing  death ! ' ' 

A  moment  he  paused,  with  set  teeth  and  laboring 
breath;  then  an  expression  of  subtle  malignity  crept 
over  the  face,  and  blent  with  the  ferocity  that  covered  it 
like  a  veil. 

"But  can  I  trust  the  promises  of  Abbas?  I  have  read 
in  the  parchments  that  the  fathers  loaned  me,  that  the 
Evil  One  never  kept  faith  with  his  servants,  nor  paid  the 
price  for  which  they  sold  their  souls;  but  by  some  cun- 
ning juggle  exacted  the  service,  and  enforced  the  penalty, 
without  fulfilling  the  desire  of  their  hearts.  If  ever  in- 
carnate devil  was  allowed  to  plague  this  earth,  it  is  Abbas 
Pasha !  And  neither  Allah  nor  Eblis  have  any  sway 
over  him.  Can  I  trust  him?  Can  I  trust  him?  And  is 
it  yet  too  late  to  tell  Askaros  the  truth,  and  save  father 
and  son?  No!  no!  I  cannot  now,  if  I  would.  For,  did 
not  Abbas  say  my  head  was  now  under  the  paw  of  the 
tiger?  And  said  he  not  truly?" 

Again  a  fleeting  cloud  from  his  changing  mood  swept 
over  the  face,  growing  ever  darker  and  ever  older  in  its 
wrath.  There  was  bitter  mockery  in  his  tone  as  he  spoke 
again : 

"My  fortunate  young  friend,  by  his  riches  and  his 
influence,  can  secure  foreign  protection ;  but  who  would 
trouble  himself — what  Frank  consul  would  lift  a  finger 
—  if  Abbas  desired  to  crush  so  mean  a  worm  as  Daoud- 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  95 

ben-Youssouf?  But  he  cannot  say  I  did  not  warn  him  — 
even  more  strongly  than  I  intended ;  for  my  purpose  was 
only  to  hint,  not  speak  out,  so  as  to  keep  his  confidence 
after  his  father  had  been  summoned  to  the  council.  Had 
he  taken  my  advice,  my  path  would  have  been  easier. 
As  he  did  not,  it  is  a  steep  and  slippery  one — but  I  shall 
climb  it — I  shall  climb  it!  And  then — O  El  Warda 
— star  of  my  youth !  inspiration  of  my  manhood !  for 
whom  I  long  more  than  ever  did  Mussulman  for  the 
green-sleeved  Houris  of  Mohammed's  heaven! — though 
by  crime  I  may  win  thee  —  yet  thou  shalt  be  mine !  Yes, 
in  spite  of  earth,  and  heaven,  and  hell !  Even  though  I 
sell  my  own  soul  to  clasp  thee  ! ' ' 

As  he  spoke  thus  his  face  kindled  into  a  glow  of  pas- 
sion, and  he  turned  his  face  again  toward  the  window. 
But  this  time  his  vision  was  attracted,  not  by  the  sights  in 
the  Ezbekieh  below,  but  fixed  on  some  moving  object 
high  up  in  air,  and  sharply  defined  against  the  back- 
ground of  the  clear  blue  sky. 

Far  up  in  the  cloudless  atmosphere  —  reduced  to  a 
mere  speck  —  one  of  those  wide-winged  Egyptian  hawks, 
half  bird  of  prey,  half  vulture,  was  balancing  itself  motion- 
less in  the  air,  preparatory  to  its  descent  upon  a  terrified 
Barbary  dove,  which  —  with  the  rare  instinct  of  self- 
preservation  —  instead  of  flying  away  in  a  straight  line, 
was  circling  round  and  round,  to  confuse  the  vision  and 
aim  of  its  deadly  enemy. 

The  Syrian,  though  a  skeptic  in  religion,  yet,  like  all 
Easterns,  was  a  slave  to  superstition,  and  a  great  believer 
in  signs  and  omens.  Fixing  his  unwinking  eyes  full  on 
the  two  birds  in  the  broad  glare  of  the  midday,  he  held 
his  breath,  and  hoarsely  muttered,  in  his  eager  anxiety : 

"  Yes  !  I  will  accept  it  as  an  omen ;  I  am  the  hawk, 


96  ASKAROS    K ASS  IS. 

El  Warda  the  dove  !  Whichever  wins  will  show  me  my 
chance  of  success ;  and  I  feel  in  my  spirit  that  my  good 
star  will  prevail." 

As  though  in  answer  to  his  cry,  he  could  see,  high  in 
air,  a  gleam  on  the  feathers  of  the  hawk's  wide  wings, 
as  he  slanted  them  close  to  his  sides,  and  with  an  arrowy 
rush,  dropped  sheer  down,  like  a  plummet,  through  the 
yielding  air,  his  outstretched  neck  and  contracted  talons 
ready  for  the  blow.  Swift  as  was  the  plunge,  it  was  met 
by  a  counter  movement  on  the  part  of  the  destined  victim ; 
for,  as  the  hawk  flashed  down  toward  it,  the  dove  ceased 
its  circling  movement,  and  darted  off  in  a  straight  line  — 
just  in  time  !  for  the  strained  eye  of  the  gazer  could 
scarce  mark  the  space  which  intervened  between  the 
dusky  bird  and  his  snowy  quarry,  as  he  shot  down  far 
below,  almost  grazing  it  in  his  swift  descent. 

But,  though  baffled,  the  bird  of  prey  was  not  beaten ; 
and  Daoud  smiled  grimly  to  see  how  savagely  and  how 
swiftly  he  checked  his  downward  rush,  opened  his  fan- 
like  wings,  and  soared  upward  again  in  chase  of  his 
victim.  Then  ensued  a  trial  of  skill  and  of  stratagem 
between  the  two  birds,  each  circling  round  and  striving 
—  the  one  to  rise,  the  other  to  keep  above  its  enemy  — 
for  in  so  doing  was  the  sole  hope  of  the  smaller  bird. 

"  Courage  and  force  must  win  !  "  muttered  the  Syrian, 
as  he  saw  the  hawk,  with  each  sweep  of  its  strong  wings, 
rise  higher  and  nearer  —  narrowing  the  distance  —  while 
symptoms  of  distress  and  weariness  were  beginning  to 
show  themselves  in  the  smaller  bird.  At  length,  by  one 
final  and  powerful  sweep,  the  hawk  shot  up  into  the  air, 
hovered  a  second  over  his  struggling  quarry,  and  poised 
for  the  final  swoop.  The  dove's  terror  seemed  to  have 
mastered  its  strength.  Paralyzed  by  its  failing  hope  and 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  97 

coming  doom,  its  wings  almost  closed,  and,  with  a 
piteous  piping  cry,  it  flew  straight  downward,  seeking 
shelter  among  the  trees  of  the  Ezbekieh. 

With  a  shrill  shriek,  again  the  hawk  launched  himself 
down  upon  his  prey,  which,  forgetting  its  fear  of  man  in 
its  greater  terror  of  its  foe,  dashed  blindly  down  into  the 
bosom  of  Edith,  where  it  clung  convulsively ;  the  fiercer 
bird  swooping  so  close  as  almost  to  brush  the  face  and 
shoulder  of  Edith  with  his  wings,  in  the  ardor  of  pursuit ; 
then,  baffled  and  disappointed,  suddenly  sailing  away, 
with  a  clanging  scream,  toward  the  barren  range  of  the 
Mokattam  hills. 

"  Poor  bird  ! ' '  said  Edith  ;  "  how  glad  I  am  he  sought 
my  protection,  and  that  I  was  able  to  save  him." 

' '  You  are  his  guardian  angel, ' '  answered  Askaros,  who 
had  joined  her ;  ' '  and  many  would  run  as  great  a  risk  for 
the  privilege  of  your  sympathy.  But  he  seems  very  tame 
for  a  wild  dove." 

"He  differs  from  men,"  answered  Edith,  laughing. 
"He  knows  his  friends,  and  he  trusts  them  at  sight." 

"Pardon  me!"  answered  the  Copt,  looking  more 
closely  at  the  bird  ;  "  but  he  is  not  a  new  acquaintance  : 
he  was  introduced  to  you  two  weeks  since  at  my  house. 
It  is  one  of  my  carrier-doves,  that  has  come  wellnigh 
paying  dear  for  its  truant  propensities.  His  grave  was 
almost  ready  in  that  hawk's  maw." 

While  this  gay  badinage  was  passing  on  the  Ezbekieh, 
and  frivolous  words  were  exchanged  between  light  and 
innocent  hearts,  the  solitary  Syrian,  on  his  unseen  watch, 
was  moved  by  far  other  sentiments.  To  him  the  omen 
he  had  invoked  was  a  serious  thing ;  and  the  superstitious 
element  in  his  nature  was  strongly  worked  upon  by  the 
issue  of  the  trial  he  had  set  up  as  the  symbol  of  his  suc- 
9  G 


98  A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS. 

cess  or  failure.  He  knit  his  brow  savagely,  and,  gnaw- 
ing his  nether  lip  with  his  sharp  white  teeth,  flung  out 
his  clenched  hand  in  a  gesture  of  menace  to  the  uncon- 
scious pair  beneath,  whom  he  identified  with  that  failure. 

"An  idle  story  !  An  old  woman's  tale  !  "  he  growled 
scornfully  and  impatiently  to  himself.  ' '  Why  am  I  fool 
enough  to  feed  such  fancies,  or  to  dream  such  dreams  ? 
What  have  the  birds  of  the  air  to  do  with  the  thoughts  of 
man's  brain,  the  wishes  of  his  heart,  or  the  works  of  his 
hand  ?  Why  should  I,  who  laugh  at  the  mummeries  of 
Mussulman  imaum  and  of  Christian  priests  alike,  believe, 
even  for  a  moment,  in  the  divinations  and  the  omens  of 
the  old  pagan  time,  that  I  read  of  in  Roman  books? 
Folly  !  Folly  !  So  once  more  to  hard  work,  to  forget 
such  fancies ;  but  not  to  forget  both  the  love  and  the  hate 
I  bear  the  house  of  Askaros." 

And  descending  below,  the  once  more  remorseless 
plotter  plunged  into  his  interrupted  labors,  weaving  those 
webs,  fine  as  spider's  threads,  yet  perhaps  as  strong  to 
bind  his  enemies  as  links  of  steel. 

And  so,  as  often  happens  in  life  —  more  often,  perhaps, 
than  even  in  fiction  —  within  a  few  short  steps  of  each 
other,  three  beings  were  busy  weaving  the  threads  of 
their  destinies  —  threads  to  be  intertwined  inextricably 
one  with  the  other.  While,  all  unconscious  of  her  secret 
influence  over  the  most  dangerous  of  these  busy  workers, 
in  the  hareem-chambers  of  the  old  palace  in  the  Turkish 
quarter,  sat  the  gentle  girl,  El  Warda  —  thinking,  not  of 
him  who  thought  of  her,  but  of  that  other,  who  had  for- 
gotten for  the  moment  her  very  existence,  in  the  thrill  of 
a  newly-awakened  passion. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

THE    HAREEM    OF   THE    PRINCESS    NEZLE. 

GO  with  her  to  visit  a  —  hairrum  ! ' '  cried  Miss  Pris- 
cilla  to  her  niece.  "Trust  ourselves,  without 
the  gentlemen,  to  be  shut  up  among  those  nasty  black 
men  and  those  wicked  women  !  who  spend  their  lives 
in  eating  sweetmeats,  and  ogling  the  men  from  the  lat- 
tices ;  and  whose  poor  husbands  have  to  lock  them  up 
at  home,  and  send  guards  to  watch  them  when  they  go 
out !  I  really  do  not  believe,  Edith,  it  is  either  safe  or 
proper  for  us  to  go  to  such  places  to  visit  such  people, 
whatever  your  father  may  think  or  say  ! ' ' 

"  But,  aunt,  El  Warda  sends  me  word  we  are  to  go  to 
the  hareem  of  a  princess  —  a  lady  of  the  royal  blood. 
It  will  be  a  kind  of  reception,  like  Queen  Victoria's,  or 
the  Empress  Eugenie's  —  not  like  visiting  a  common 
person's  hareem,  by  any  means." 

The  cunning  little  puss,  with  true  feminine  tact,  had 
pierced  the  weak  point  in  the  spinster's  armor.  She 
could  not  refuse  to  visit  a  princess :  so,  with  many 
internal  qualms,  and  with  a  miserable  retrospect  of  what 
she  endured  in  the  first  essay  to  enjoy  the  hospitality  of 
Askaros,  she  reluctantly  made  up  her  mind  for  the 
martyrdom. 

99 


IOO  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

The  permission  to  visit  the  hareem  of  the  Princess 
Nezle  Khanum,  whose  name  has  already  been  men- 
tioned, was  obtained  for  El  Warda  by  the  old  French 
governess,  who  was  intimate  with  that  high  lady.  The 
astute  Frenchwoman  had  remarked,  with  some  surprise, 
the  eager  interest  manifested  by  the  princess  at  the  men- 
tion of  El  Warda' s  name,  and  that  of  the  young  Ameri- 
can ;  and  the  questions  with  which  she  plied  her  as  to 
the  age,  appearance,  figure,  and  features  of  the  latter. 
For  Nezle  —  the  Sitta  Khanum,  (great  lady,)  as  she  was 
generally  termed — did  not  usually  display  much  interest 
in  her  own  sex.  Her  time  and  attention  —  unless  the 
gossips  of  the  hareem  and  of  the  coffee-house  belied 
her  —  was  principally  devoted  to  the  male  population. 
Even  among  that  evil  family  she  bore  a  name  exception- 
ably  evil ;  but  such  was  her  craft  and  talent,  so  great 
was  her  energy  and  her  influence,  even  over  Abbas,  that 
she  wielded  a  power  and  inspired  a  dread  in  Egypt, 
second  only  to  that  entertained  for  him. 

The  old  Frenchwoman,  who,  if  rumor  lied  not,  knew 
more  of  the  private  life  and  thoughts  of  the  great  lady 
than  most  people,  left  the  hareem.  Hardened  and 
unscrupulous  as  she  had  grown  during  a  long  life  as  an 
adventuress  in  the  East,  she  yet  retained  some  germs  of 
the  better  feelings  of  her  youth,  before  becoming  a  social 
outlaw  who  had  fled  from  her  country.  She  felt  a  true 
affection  for  her  former  pupil,  "Warda,"  and  feared 
that  the  anxiety  of  the  princess  to  see  her  and  her  Frank 
friend  meant  mischief  of  some  sort.  For  she  knew  that 
the  feminine  vice  of  curiosity  found  small  place  in  the 
plotting  brain  and  masculine  will  of  Nezle  Khanum. 

But  this  she  dared  not  tell  even  her  former  pupil,  or 
hint  to  the  self-willed  princess.  She  only  made  an 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  IOI 

inward  vow  to  keep  watch,  and  fathom  the  mystery  if 
she  might ;  and  therefore  she  solicited  permission  to 
accompany  the  party  on  their  visit,  which  was  cheerfully 
accorded  her. 

The  next  day  was  fixed  for  the  reception,  and,  at  an 
early  hour  in  the  morning  —  for  early  rising  is  a  com- 
mon habit  in  the  East,  the  noonday  being  devoted  to 
the  siesta — the  ladies  of  the  party,  escorted  as  far  as  the 
gates  of  the  princess's  hareem  by  the  gentlemen,  pro- 
ceeded in  carriages  to  the  rendezvous.  The  road  was 
a  fine,  broad  carriage-way,  shaded  by  palm-trees  and 
acacias,  leading  to  Boulak,  the  port  of  Cairo  on  the 
Nile  ;  which  at  that  time  —  before  the  completion  of  the 
railways — was  a  place  of  some  importance  as  the  port 
of  embarkation  by  steamer  to  Alexandria,  and  the  de'p&t 
of  goods  transported  thence  by  the  river,  then  the  only 
means  of  transit.  About  half  a  mile  below  Boulak  was 
situated  the  palace  of  the  princess,  overlooking  the  Nile, 
and  with  large  gardens,  surrounded  by  a  high  stone  wall, 
stretching  back  from  it.  Through  this  garden  entrance, 
guarded  by  a  file  of  soldiers  outwardly,  and  by  a  number 
of  eunuchs  and  female  slaves  within,  the  ladies  of  the 
party  were  now  conducted,  bidding  adieu  to  their  cava- 
liers, who  were  to  return  for  them  in  the  afternoon. 

Ushered  through  these  extensive  and  lovely  gardens 
by  the  obsequious  slaves,  who  glided  on  before  them, 
uttering  no  word,  the  imagination  of  Edith  was  power- 
fully affected ;  and  all  the  strange  stories  of  the  strange 
woman  she  was  about  to  visit  —  that  she  had  heard 
vaguely  whispered  —  rose  to  her  memory. 

She  expected  to  behold  a  witch-like,  withered  woman, 
with  a  harsh  voice,  forbidding  face,  and  a  wicked  eye,  in 
the  person  of  the  princess.  What,  then,  was  her  sur- 


IO2  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

prise  on  being  presented  to  a  lady  of  most  prepossessing 
face  and  figure,  apparently  not  past  the  middle  age ; 
whose  voluptuous  form  the  Eastern  costume  enhanced, 
whose  soft  voice  was  most  musical  and  winning,  and 
who  seemed  the  incarnation  of  gentleness  and  womanly 
grace. 

Nezle*  Khanum  was  not  tall ;  but  her  figure  was  per- 
fectly rounded,  and  her  hands  and  feet  small  and  sym- 
metrical as  those  of  a  child.  Her  arms,  bare  to  the 
shoulder  under  her  wide  sleeves,  were  perfectly  moulded ; 
and  her  every  gesture  and  movement  full  of  grace.  The 
face  was  round  and  full,  with  small,  delicate  features, 
perfectly  chiselled  —  the  lips,  perhaps,  a  trifle  too  full 
and  sensual,  as  was  the  chin  and  lower  part  of  the  face. 

The  eyes,  smaller  than  usual  in  Eastern  women,  were 
jet-black,  penetrating,  and  very  bright,  with  none  of  that 
lazy  languor  in  them  common  to  her  countrywomen. 
Her  arched  eyebrows  were  united  in  a  straight  line  by 
kohl,  and  the  same  pigment,  traced  under  her  eyelids, 
gave  additional  lustre  to  those  shining  orbs.  Her  finger- 
tips and  nails  were  tinged  by  henna  to  a  rosy  hue ;  and 
her  small,  plump  fingers  were  covered  with  rings  of  great 
price.  The  manner  of  the  princess  was  as  bright  and 
sparkling  as  her  eyes.  She  spoke  no  European  language, 
so  the  old  Frenchwoman  and  El  Warda  acted  as  her 
interpreters  with  the  strangers. 

As  the  party  entered,  the  Khanum  rose  from  her  divan, 
and  came  forward  to  meet  them  with  mingled  grace, 
dignity,  and  cordiality.  The  old  Frenchwoman  watched 
her  closely,  and  saw  that  while  her  eye  ran  rapidly  and 
carelessly  over  the  persons  of  the  others,  it  fixed  itself  with 
a  penetrating  and  exhaustive  regard  on  the  young  Ameri- 
can. Face  and  figure,  even  to  the  slightest  details  of  both, 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  IO3 

that  eagle  eye  fastened  upon,  as  though  to  make  a  mental 
inventory  of  all ;  yet  not  rudely,  so  that  the  fair  object  of 
her  scrutiny  was  herself  unconscious  of  its  minuteness. 
Then  the  princess,  motioning  her  guests  to  be  seated, 
made  the  usual  compliments  of  welcome ;  and,  slaves 
entering  with  refreshments,  she  pressed  all  the  dainties  in 
sweetmeats,  confectionery,  and  fruits  upon  them,  together 
with  sirups  of  various  kinds,  pink,  rose  -  colored,  and 
green, 

To  these  succeeded  dainty  -  looking  chibouques  with 
velvety  amber  mouth-pieces  and  slender  jasmine  stems, 
inlaid  with  precious  stones  ;  a  delicate,  fragrant  perfume, 
wonderfully  unlike  the  strong  odors  of  tobacco,  rising 
like  incense  from  their  graceful  bowls,  that  rested  on 
silver  salvers.  Seduced  and  tempted  by  the  shape  in 
which  the  invitation  came,  even  Miss  Primmins  forgot 
her  usual  caution,  and  partook  freely  of  the  refreshments. 
She  even  essayed  for  the  first  time  to  smoke  a  chibouque, 
which  feat  she  performed  with  a  seriousness  and  severity 
of  aspect  at  variance  with  the  employment  and  the  oc- 
casion ;  but  not  without  a  certain  serene  contentment, 
nevertheless. 

Leaning  forward  toward  El  Warda,  the  princess,  in  her 
soft  tone,  said : 

"  Thou  art  the  daughter  of  Askaros  Kassis,  the  ancient 
Khasnadar  of  my  father,  Mehemet  Ali  —  to  whom  may 
Allah  grant  peace  !  Thy  father  and  mine  were  friends. 
So  let  it  be  between  their  children.  Thy  face  and  thy 
presence  in  my  hareem  will  ever  be  pleasant  to  me.  I 
hope  to  see  them  often  here,  now  that  thou  hast  found 
the  way." 

To  this  graceful  speech  the  young  girl  made  fitting  re- 
ply ;  but  the  brow  of  the  old  Frenchwoman  grew  still 


IO4  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

darker  at  the  unusual  courtesy.  Then,  turning  toward 
Edith,  the  princess  said  : 

"Thou  hast  visited  hareems  before  ?  No  !  Then  must 
I  show  thee  something  of  our  way  of  passing  time  ?  ' ' 

She  clapped  her  hands  thrice  sharply  together,  when  a 
curtain  was  suddenly  pushed  aside  at  one  corner  of  the 
apartment,  and  three  Ghawazee,  or  dancing-girls,  bound- 
ed into  the  room,  and  commenced  the  wildest  dancing ; 
unseen  musicians,  behind  the  curtain,  accompanying'their 
movements  with  the  wailing  music  of  the  fife,  and  of  the 
darabouka  drum.  To  describe  their  dance  would  be  next 
to  impossible,  for  it  had  in  it  more  of  St.  Vitus  or  of 
St.  Anthony  than  of  Terpsichore. 

The  movement  was  at  first  slow  and  measured,  like  the 
opening  of  the  Tarantula ;  but  soon  the  music  grew  faster 
and  more  furious,  and,  with  the  rising  din,  faster  and 
more  furious  grew  the  posturings  and  contortions  of  the 
Ghawazee.  They  writhed  and  twisted  their  lithe  bodies 
and  sinuous  limbs  in  strange  muscular  contortions  —  into 
almost  impossible  positions — keeping  time  to  the  music 
with  every  motion.  They  advanced  and  retreated  ;  one 
personating  a  man,  another  a  woman,  in  every  attitude 
of  timid  supplication  —  audacious  wooing,  rejection,  de- 
spair, angry  violence,  consent,  successful  love,  rapture, 
agony  !  and  closed  the  strange  performance  with  gross- 
ness  too  revolting  for  description, 

The  visitors,  fascinated  at  first  by  the  wild  novelty  of 
the  performance,  were  soon  disgusted  by  its  coarseness ; 
especially  in  the  great  feat  which  was  the  crowning  per- 
formance, the  " Naklf  a  ho"  or  "bee-dance;"  for 
the  conception  and  execution  of  this  dance  surpassed  any 
indecency  of  the  French  or  American  ballet  corps  — 
very  far  exceeding  the  bounds  of  the  most  lax  propriety. 


A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS.  10$ 

The  young  girls  and  the  ancient  maiden  averted  their 
eyes,  and  fixed  them  upon  their  pipe-bowls,  while  this 
more  than  Bacchanal  frenzy  was  gone  through  with,  to  the 
infinite  amusement  as  well  as  the  unutterable  scorn  of  the 
princess,  who  regarded  their  behavior  as  hypocritical  pru- 
dery. She  herself  applauded  warmly  the  strongest  and 
most  indelicate  parts  of  the  performance,  stimulating  the 
dancers  to  yet  more  frantic  indecencies ;  and  when,  pant- 
ing, exhausted,  and  in  sheer  breathlessness,  they  ceased 
—  divested  almost  entirely  of  the  voluminous  wrappings 
with  which  they  had  begun  the  dance  —  dusky  models  of 
the  Eastern  Venus,  whose  priestesses  they  were  !  —  Nezle 
flung  to  each  of  them  a  purse  of  gold,  as  her  parting 
benison.  Prostrating  themselves  with  lowly  reverence, 
the  Ghawazee  collected  the  garments  they  had  flung  off 
while  searching  for  the  bee,  and  retired  backward  behind 
the  curtain. 

The  wrath  of  Miss  Priscilla  was  too  great  for  words ; 
else — and  had  she  spoken  any  language  the  princess 
could  understand — she  undoubtedly,  then  and  there, 
would  have  given  her  what  she  termed  "a  piece  of  her 
mind."  Outraged  womanhood  asserted  itself  in  that 
withered  bosom,  at  witnessing  such  sights  herself,  and 
permitting  her  niece  to  see  them.  She  almost  choked 
with  indignation,  and  twice  or  thrice  attempted  to  rise, 
with  the  intention  of  taking  the  latter  from  the  room. 
But  the  strong  hand  of  the  vigilant  old  Frenchwoman, 
who  sat  next  her,  grasped  her  as  in  an  iron  vice.  She 
could  not  free  herself  from  it,  struggle  as  she  might ;  and 
a  moment's  reflection  convinced  her  that  she  must  not 
insult  the  hostess. 

So,  chafing  and  fuming  inwardly,  she  sat  still,  and,  to 
pacify  her  mind  and  tranquillize  her  nerves,  puffed  vigor- 


IO6  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

ously  at  the  chibouque,  which  an  attentive  slave  replen- 
ished from  time  to  time,  without  the  spinster's  knowl- 
edge. Gradually  she  felt  creep  over  her  a  serene  indo- 
lence, followed  by  a  slight  drowsy  sensation  ;  then,  just 
as  the  dancers  retired,  horror  of  horrors !  she  experienced 
a  slight  nausea,  quickly  succeeded  by  a  deadly  sickness ! 

Cold  perspiration  broke  out  upon  her  brow ;  her  body 
felt  clammy  as  that  of  a  corpse ;  and  her  brain  reeled  so 
that  she  could  scarcely  sit  upright.  With  a  convulsive 
clutch  she  seized  the  arm  of  Edith,  who  sat  next  to  her, 
and  in  a  sepulchral  tone  gasped:  "Oh,  Edith!  I  am 
poisoned !  Get  me  away,  or  I  shall  die  ! ' ' 

The  girl  looked  round  in  alarm,  and  the  livid  face  that 
stared  into  hers  terrified  her. 

"Great  heavens!"  she  cried  to  the  Frenchwoman. 
"What  can  be  the  matter?  Look  at  my  aunt!  What 
can  have  happened  to  her?" 

"Pas  extraordinaire!"  replied  the  person  addressed, 
with  a  true  French  shrug,  that  almost  concealed  her  head 
between  her  shoulders.  "Madame  has  eaten  much  con- 
fectionery, and  smoked  many  pipes;  and  many  persons 
suffer  from  Eastern  hospitality  the  first  time,  before  they 
are  used  to  it.  She  will  not  die  this  time ;  soyez  tran- 
quille. ' ' 

When  the  illness  of  Miss  Priscilla  was  imparted  to  the 
Khanum,  she  was  graciously  pleased  to  insist  on  the  vic- 
tim's being  removed  to  an  inner  apartment,  to  repose. 
So  the  spinster  was  led  off,  passive  and  unresisting  from 
nausea,  but  firmly  convinced  in  her  own  mind  that  she 
never  more  would  behold  her  friends.  More  confirmed 
was  she  in  that  impression,  when  she  not  only  was  laid 
out  on  a  divan  in  a  secluded  apartment,  but  beheld, 
every  time  she  opened  her  swimming  eyes,  two  Nubian 


ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS.  IO/ 

female  slaves  —  black  as  night,  and  with  great,  glaring, 
rolling  white  eyes — sitting  immovable  as  two  sphinxes  on 
each  side  of  her  couch,  and  gazing  with  stony  stare  full 
upon  her.  Shuddering,  she  closed  her  eyes,  and,  mur- 
muring a  short  prayer,  resigned  herself  to  her  fate. 

In  the  mean  time  the  princess  continued  to  do  the 
honors  to  her  remaining  guests.  After  the  dancing 
succeeded  the  singing-girls,  who  droned  out  a  melancholy 
and  monotonous  chant,  to  the  accompaniment  of  a  kind 
of  rude  guitar,  called  the  "rahab."  There  was  little 
melody  and  less  music  in  the  sounds  to  foreign  ears ;  but 
they  seemed  to  please  the  native  listeners. 

Then,  rising  from  her  seat,  the  princess  proposed  to 
show  the  house  to  her  guests,  and  took  them  through  the 
bath-rooms,  with  marble  floors  and  fountains  of  marble, 
walls  inlaid  with  red  Egyptian  alabaster,  and  a  dome  of 
stained  glass,  that  threw  a  blood-red  light  into  the  apart- 
ments, which  were  heated  to  a  temperature  almost  in- 
supportable to  the  Europeans.  Then  she  carried  them 
through  the  various  rooms  dedicated  to  her  own  use,  and 
that  of  her  numerous  domestics  and  slaves.  Her  own 
apartments  were  sumptuously  decorated  and  fitted  up 
with  every  costly  luxury ;  those  of  the  others,  with  a  bare 
simplicity,  divested  even  of  the  common  comforts  of  the 
toilet  or  dressing-room. 

The  whole  palace  presented  a  strange  melange  of 
lavish  extravagance,  costly  trifles,  and  squalid  discomfort. 
Though  in  the  chief  apartments  French  mirrors  of  the 
largest  size  were  fitted  into  niches  in  the  walls,  magnifi- 
cent chandeliers  hung  from  the  ceilings,  and  the  cover- 
ings of  the  cushions,  the  tapestries,  and  the  curtains  over 
the  doorways  were  of  the  richest  materials;  yet  in  the 
smaller  chambers  the  coverings  were  of  coarse  chintz, 


IO8  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

and  the  frames  of  the  divans  of  common  wood ;  while 
large  glass  lanterns,  containing  tallow  candles,  gave  light 
to  the  ladies  of  the  Court. 

The  dress  of  the  princess  herself  was  of  the  richest 
description,  and  her  hair,  bust,  arms,  and  fingers  glittered 
with  precious  gems ;  while  her  attendants  wore  materials 
of  the  commonest  and  coarsest  kind,  in  many  instances 
torn,  and  not  overclean. 

The  impression  produced  on  the  mind  of  the  visitor 
was  that  splendor  and  luxury  were  compatible  with  ha- 
reem  life,  but  that  comfort  was  not.  The  princess  and 
her  attendants  examined  without  scruple,  and  with  the 
utmost  minuteness,  the  details  of  Edith's  costume;  asking 
her  a  thousand  questions  about  the  smaller  articles  of 
feminine  attire,  and  carrying  their  researches  as  to  names 
and  uses  so  far,  that  the  fair  girl  was  apprehensive  of 
being  reduced  to  the  disrobed  condition  of  the  dancing- 
girls.  Seeing  that  she  was  becoming  flushed  and  an- 
noyed by  their  investigations,  the  princess  checked  the 
curiosity  of  her  attendants,  and  dismissed  them  all,  that 
she  might  converse  alone  with  her  guests. 

"You  will  pardon  the  curiosity  of  my  people,"  she 
said;  "but  Franks  are  very  rarely  admitted  into  my 
hareem,  and  the  Frank  costume  is  a  novelty  to  them  ; 
and  our  manners  are  so  different  from  yours,  that  I  fear 
they  may  have  annoyed  you." 

Edith  made  a  courteous  disclaimer  of  such  feeling, 
and  expressed  her  thanks  for  the  honor  accorded  her. 
The  princess  then  asked  her  a  great  variety  of  questions 
as  to  the  customs  and  habits  of  foreign  women ;  from 
which,  and  from  her  comments  upon  the  answers,  Edith 
was  surprised  to  observe  that  she  rather  compassionated 
them  for  the  liberty  allowed  them,  which  she  seemed  to 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  ICX) 

construe  into  indifference  of  the  men  toward  them. 
The  immodesty  of  the  unveiled  face  in  public  also 
seemed  to  strike  her  much  ;  and  she  declared  the  ani- 
mated pictures  Edith  drew  of  the  life  of  American 
women  only  confirmed  her  idea  of  the  superior  advan- 
tages and  pleasures  of  the  Eastern,  who  substituted  the 
bath  on  Friday  for  reception ;  had  their  shopping 
brought  to  them,  and  enjoyed  their  gossip  at  home ;  and 
had  abundant  leisure  to  eat,  drink,  dress,  sleep,  and 
make  love,  which  she  seemed  to  regard  as  the  whole 
duty  of  woman. 

El  Warda  took  but  little  part  in  the  conversation, 
though  the  Khanum  treated  her  with  marked  courtesy. 
Refreshments,  such  as  sweetmeats  and  sherbets,  were 
brought  in  at  intervals  ;  and  at  parting  a  bouquet  of  rare 
flowers  was  given  to  each  lady.  Before  they  took  their 
farewell,  Miss  Priscilla  —  rescued  from  her  sable  watch- 
ers, but  still  looking  very  pale,  haggard,  and  wretched  — 
rejoined  them. 

The  princess,  turning  to  the  old  woman,  said  in 
Turkish,  in  a  low  voice : 

"Why  did  you  tell  me  the  Ingleeze  was  beautiful? 
She  is  as  colorless  as  a  scentless  white  flower  beside  a 
damask  rose,  when  compared  with  the  sister  of  Askaros  ! 
She  is  as  thin  as  a  starved  camel,  and  has  no  figure"  — 
and  she  glanced  complacently  at  her  own  plump  propor- 
tions, as  though  to  point  a  contrast.  "He  never  can 
fancy  a  stick  like  that !  I  am  well  content  to  have  seen 
her.  As  to  the  old  bean-pole"  —  nodding  toward  the 
chaste  Priscilla  — ' '  she  should  be  set  up  as  a  scare- 
crow !  Now  relieve  me  of  the  presence  of  these  Giaours, 
for  I  am  weary  of  them.  Say  something  flattering  to 
them  in  translation  of  what  I  have  just  said  to  you  ;  and 
10 


IIO  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

then  take  them  away,  in  the  name  of  Allah  !  or  I  shall 
get  as  sick  at  the  stomach,  soon,  as  that  old  scarecrow 
who  swallowed  so  much  of  my  smoke." 

In  compliance  with  this  mandate,  the  old  French- 
woman made  a  complimentary  speech  of  the  most 
flowery  kind  to  the  unsuspecting  guests,  winding  up  with 
an  intimation  that  they  might  now  take  conge ;  and  the 
princess,  with  many  smiles,  dismissed  them. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

UP   THE   NILE    IN    A    DAHABIEH. 

WILL  you  do  me  the  honor  of  taking  a  sail  up  the 
Nile  in  my  dahabieh  ?  ' '  asked  Askaros,  drop- 
ping in  on  the  hotel  party  a  few  mornings  after  the 
harem  visit.  "  We  can  take  donkeys  down  to  Boulak, 
where  the  boat  lies,  and  do  old  Father  Nilus  in  fine 
style — a  short  distance  up,  at  least." 

The  proposal  was  at  once  seconded  by  the  young 
men,  and  received  a  smiling  assent  from  Edith.  Mr. 
Van  Camp  pleaded  business  with  his  consul,  having  had 
a  difficulty  with  his  dragoman  :  but  Miss  Priscilla  alone 
interposed  an  objection. 

' '  I  am  told  the  Nile  swarms  with  those  horrible  crea- 
•  tures,  the  crocodiles,"  she  said  ;  "  and  the  wife  of  one 
of  our  missionaries  was  yesterday  entertaining  us  with 
some  horrible  cases  of  young  infidel  converts  having 
been  devoured  by  them  when  going  in  to  bathe.  At 
least,  to  that  she  attributed  their  sudden  disappearance  ; 
for  three  of  them  went  off  to  bathe  in  the  Nile,  after 
having  been  well  clothed  and  fed  out  of  our  fund  for 
several  weeks,  and  showing  a  most,  hopeful  and  edifying 
spirit,  and  they  have  never  been  heard  of  since.  The 
mothers  came  howling  and  wailing  to  tell  the  sad  story  ; 


112  ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS. 

but  they  likewise  offered  three  of  their  younger  children, 
very  ragged  and  dirty,  to  instruct  in  their  stead  ;  and 
they  were  taken  of  course." 

A  peculiar  expression,  surely  not  of  sympathy,  flitted 
over  the  face  of  Askaros.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  it 
more  resembled  amusement :  though  he  said  nothing  in 
direct  reply.  But  Sir  Charles  did. 

"Very  affecting  tale,  indeed,  Miss  Primmins.  Re- 
markably well  told,  too ;  only  I  do  not  see  the  crocodile 
in  it,  or  under  it.  More  like  a  fish-story.  These  Arab 
beggars  remind  one  wonderfully  of  the  Indians,  in  the 
way  they  impose  on  the  missionaries  !  I  have  not  the 
shadow  of  doubt,  the  same  crocodile  will  devour  the 
three  other  children,  just  so  soon  as  they  are  sufficiently 
clothed  and  fattened  to  make  it  an  object." 

"Shocking,  Sir  Charles!  How  can  you  talk  with 
such  levity  on  such  serious  subjects !  What  do  you 
think,  Mr.  Askaros?  Are  there  not  crocodiles  in  the 
river  near  here?" 

"As  to  your  first  question,  madam,"  answered  the 
young  man,  gravely,  "I  would  prefer  not  to  answer  it; 
for  I  really  know  nothing  of  the  matter.  But  I  can 
assure  you,  on  my  honor,  you  will  see  no  crocodiles 
where  I  propose  taking  you  to-day.  And  when  you  see 
my  dahabieh,  you  will  be  satisfied  that  on  board  of  her 
you  will  be  as  safe  as  on  one  of  your  fine  American 
steamers.  She  is  more  like  an  English  yacht  than  a 
row-boat. ' ' 

"  But  is  there  no  danger  of — of  sea-sickness?"  per- 
sisted Miss  Priscilla.  "My  poor  head  cannot  stand 
much  rocking,  especially  since  my  visit  to  that  horrid 
hareem." 

"  None  whatever,"  was  the  comforting  reply.     "The 


ASKAROS    K 'ASS IS.  113 

river  will  be  as  smooth  as  glass,  and  you  will  glide  over 
it  with  almost  imperceptible  motion.  So  I  hope  you 
will  discard  your  fears,  now  that  your  doubts  are  dis- 
pelled, and  give  me  the  pleasure  of  your  own  and  your 
niece's  company." 

A  pleading  look  from  E^ith  settled  the  question  with 
the  spinster,  who  was  very  good-hearted  at  bottom,  and 
really  very  fond  of  her  niece ;  so  she  promised,  with  a 
sigh,  to  matronize  the  excursion,  and  followed  the  young 
lady  up  stairs  to  make  preparations  for  it. 

"Why  didn't  you  answer  my  aunt's  question  about 
the  crocodile  story  ? ' '  young  Van  Camp  asked  Askaros. 
"  It  was  a  heavy  sell  on  the  missionaries,  of  course  ;  but 
why  did  n't  you  say  so  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  delicate  subject  to  speak  of,  for  us  especially," 
answered  the  Copt.  "We  native  Christians  —  of  whom 
the  Copts  claim  to  be  the  oldest  branch,  the  original 
Church  —  are  not  on  good  terms  with  the  missionaries. 
They  regard  us  as  little  better  than  the  heathen ;  while 
we  dispute  their  right  to  come  to  Christ's  own  birth- 
place— the  cradle  of  His  Church — to  teach  us  points 
of  doctrine  or  discipline,  and  give  us  lessons  in  faith. 
Hence  we  rarely  meddle  in  any  way,  either  for  good  or 
bad,  with  the  well-meaning  people  who  come  out  as 
missionaries.  Their  efforts  to  '  convert '  us  we  look 
upon  as  very  curious.  Yet  they  try  it. 

"The  Arabs  practise  all  kinds  of  impositions  upon 
these  poor  missionaries.  Of  this  you  have  had  a  speci- 
men to-day ;  and  really  they  are  so  plausible  that  any 
new-comer,  or  person  unfamiliar  with  their  ways,  would 
be  deceived  by  them.  The  Fellah  women,  especially, 
are  the  best  natural  actors  I  ever  saw.  What  wonder, 
then,  that  they  deceive  these  foreigners  ? ' ' 
10*  H 


114  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

"You  had  better  not  say  all  this  to  my  aunt,"  an- 
swered Harry,  smiling.  "The  old  lady  believes  in 
these  missionaries,  even  though  they  do  not  bring  out 
rum  with  the  Bibles,  as  was  the  universal  custom  of 
our  New  England  Puritans,  in  their  conversion  of  the 
heathen. ' ' 

"No,  I  shall  not,"  answered  Askaros ;  "for  these 
poor  people  would  have  a  hard  time  to  live,  were  they 
not  supported  by  the  contributions  of  their  countrymen, 
since  they  all  have  many  children  and  large  families, 
which  is  a  scandal  also  to  the  Latin  Christians. ' ' 

Here  the  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the  appear- 
ance of  the  ladies,  equipped  for  the  expedition;  and, 
sallying  out  of  the  hotel,  the  party  soon  found  them- 
selves the  centre  of  an  animated,  struggling  mass  of 
donkey-boys  and  donkeys,  the  former  noisily  and  vehe- 
mently competing  for  their  custom. 

"Berry  fine  donkey,  mum!  him  John  Bull!"  — 
"Mine  Yankee  Doodle,  miss!  nebber  fall  down!"  — 
"  Dis  one  Slow-Coach! — lady  name  him  so  yesser- 
day!" 

Such  were  the  cries  and  invitations  which  rose  from 
the  ragged  rout  of  dirty  boys,  whose  knowledge  of 
scraps  of  all  spoken  languages  is  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  things  in  Cairo.  And  this  knowledge  is 
coupled  with  immediate  detection  of  the  nationality  of 
the  stranger,  which  they  flatter  by  addressing  him  in  his 
proper  tongue. 

Selecting  some  of  the  most  desirable  specimens  of 
these  sagacious  brutes — resembling  exaggerated  rabbits — 
the  party  galloped  off  toward  Boulak ;  each  animal  fol- 
lowed by  its  owner,  who  persuaded  it  along  with  a  sharp- 
pointed  stick  in  the  flanks  when  it  relaxed  its  speed. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  115 

The  dahabieh  lying  at  Boulak  was  a  very  pretty  speci- 
men of  these  Nile  craft,  having  been  freshly  refitted  and 
painted,  with  its  large  sails  white  and  spotless  as  snow. 
She  carried  a  crew  of  ten  men,  to  row  or  push  her  along, 
when  the  wind  was  not  sufficient  to  fill  the  sails.  She 
had  an  upper  cabin,  running  half  the  length,  fitted  with 
divans ;  and  an  upper  deck,  with  cushions  strewn  over  it 
for  seats,  and  an  awning  to  keep  off  the  sun.  Askaros 
welcomed  them  on  board,  gave  his  orders,  and  they  were 
soon  running  rapidly  up  the  placid  stream  of  the  Nile, 
propelled  with  arrowy  rapidity  by  the  large  sail. 

The  shores,  fringed  with  date-palms,  seemed  to  glide 
away  from  their  view  through  the  soft  haze  which  over- 
hung earth  and  sky :  the  long  lines  of  camels,  plodding 
along  the  banks,  and  the  awkward  water-oxen — their 
bodies  hidden  under  the  water,  and  only  their  hideous 
heads  protruding  from  it — seemed  sliding  off  from  them, 
as  in  a  panoramic  picture.  Earth,  air,  and  sky  were  all 
so  hushed  and  still,  that  the  only  sound  breaking  the 
breathless  calm  was  the  melancholy,  creaking  sound  of 
the  sakkia,  or  rude  water-wheels,  turned  by  oxen,  on  the 
shore,  or  the  ripple  of  the  water,  as  the  swift  dahabieh 
cleaved  its  way  through,  against  the  strong  current. 

These  soporific  influences  of  the  scene  and  hour,  as- 
sisted by  the  fatigue  of  the  long  donkey-ride,  and  aggra- 
vated by  the  lunch  with  pale  ale  proffered  by  Askaros 
after  first  coming  on  board  —  proved  too  much  for  Mr. 
Van  Camp  and  his  sister,  the  elders  of  the  party.  Both 
gently  closed  their  eyes,  to  shut  out  the  glare,  and  both 
were  soon  steeped  in  oblivious  slumber.  Harry  and  Sir 
Charles  went  to  the  upper  deck  to  enjoy  the  scenery,  a 
long  pull  at  their  nargilehs,  and  an  occasional  shot  at  the 
wild  ducks,  which  —  roused  from  the  shady  nooks  in 


Il6  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

which  they  were  disporting — constantly  flew  over  the 
passing  boat. 

The  young  Copt  and  the  American  girl  were  left  alone. 
They  were  just  passing  one  of  those  Arab  villages  that 
look  so  picturesque  at  a  distance,  so  squalid  and  filthy  on 
near  approach;  and,  passing  out  of  the  cabin-door,  they 
stood  together  near  it  and  gazed  upon  the  picture.  The 
dome  and  minarets  of  the  mosque  crowned  the  centre  of 
the  village ;  around  it  grouped  the  mud  huts,  shaded  by 
the  drooping  boughs  of  clustering  palm-trees ;  while  the 
bright  blue  dresses  of  the  women,  and  the  even  gayer 
costumes  of  the  men,  with  the  shapeless  forms  of  the 
sleepy  camels,  constituted  a  scene  never  presented  but  in 
the  Orient. 

But  though  the  maiden's  gaze  was  riveted  on  the  pic- 
ture, so  novel  and  so  striking  to  her,  the  eye  of  Askaros 
rested — not  on  earth,  or  sky,  but  on  the  face  and  form 
beside  him,  with  an  intensity  that  caused  her  to  blush  and 
turn  uneasily  toward  the  door,  as  soon  as  she  observed  it. 
But  the  young  man  arrested  the  movement  by  a  pleading 
look;  and  said,  in  a  low  tone: 

"Stay  one  moment,  I  implore  you!  For  I  must  tell 
you  that  I  no  longer  have  power  to  conceal  within  my 
breast.  Scorn  me !  crush  me,  if  you  will,  with  your  con- 
tempt !  that  one  so  far  beneath  you  in  all  things,  yet  has 
dared  to  lift  up  his  eyes  to  one  so  far  above  him.  But 
I  must  tell  you — that  I  love  you !  Not  with  the  calm, 
tame  love  of  your  cold  West;  but  with  the  fiery,  burning 
heat  of  my  own  East,  where  the  blood  rushes  from  eye 
to  heart  like  the  swift  current  of  the  Nile ! 

"Pardon  my  presumption  and  pity  my  folly !  but,  oh ! 
lady,  fairer  far  than  the  wildest  dreams  of  our  romancers 


AS /CAR  OS    KASSIS.  II? 

have  pictured — give  me  one  ray  of  hope,  or — I  shall 
die!" 

Had  a  lightning-flash  broken  suddenly  from  the  serene 
blue  vault  above  them,  it  could  not  more  have  astonished 
the  maiden  than  this  sudden  and  unexpected  avowal. 
A  red  flush  crimsoned  brow,  neck,  and  bosom,  then  left 
her  deadly  pale:  her  lips  moved,  but  no  sound  came 
from  them ;  and  she  cast  a  look,  half  bewildered,  half 
beseeching,  on  the  young  Egyptian.  Gathering  hope 
from  her  silence  and  agitation,  and  mistaking  their  mean- 
ing, he  again  burst  forth  into  an  incoherent  rhapsody  of 
mingled  adoration  and  entreaty,  as  though  beseeching 
some  being  from  a  higher  sphere. 

"I  know  how  different  are  your  usages  from  ours!" 
he  cried.  "I  know  how  far  inferior  in  all  things  am  I 
—  untrained,  half-educated  barbarian — to  you!  perfect 
flower  and  rich  fruit  of  the  highest  civilization !  I  know 
how  your  maidenly  modesty  must  be  shocked  by  such 
words,  from  the  lips  of  one  but  yesterday  a  stranger  — 
unworthy  to  unloose  even  the  latchet  of  your  shoe  !  But 
as  yonder  glorious  sun  deigns  to  send  down  his  rays, 
giving  light  and  life  to  the  meanest  of  created  things  — 
so,  from  your  height  far  above  me,  give  but  one  little 
ray  of  hope  to  this  heart,  that  now  and  for  ever  must 
beat  for  you  alone !  God  has  given  me  some  gifts  with 
which  he  has  endowed  your  more  favored  race.  I  will 
devote  all  my  energies,  all  my  powers,  to  make  myself 
what  will  be  pleasing  in  your  sight!  I  will  abandon 
home,  country,  friends  —  everything!  and  adopt  that 
home  and  that  career  which  pleases  you.  All  that  I 
have — all  that  I  am — body — soul  —  brain  —  heart!  — 
all  I  offer  to  you  absolutely,  to  control  and  dispose  of — 


Il8  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

more  than  repaid,  if  one  approving  look,  one  smile  from 
you  will  recompense  me  for  it !  " 

He  ceased  from  sheer  exhaustion  of  overwrought 
heart  and  brain;  his  eye  —  full  of  unspeakable  devotion 
— strained  with  the  intensity  of  passion  upon  her  own. 

In  reply  came  the  soft,  low  tones  from  her  lips,  in 
accents  faltering  and  tremulous  with  mingled  sorrow  and 
shame : 

' '  God  forgive  me  ! ' '  she  said,  ' '  if  any  word,  or  look, 
or  act  of  mine  has  raised  false  hopes  in  a  heart  so  noble, 
and  so  fresh  as  yours.  For  I  never  dreamed  that  such 
wild  visions  had  entered  your  brain,  else  I  should  have 
dissipated  them  at  once  and  forever.  What  you  have 
said  is  madness.  Our  lives  —  our  thoughts  —  our  desti- 
nies —  have,  and  can  ever  have,  no  link  to  bind  them 
together  !  In  race  and  character,  habits  and  ideas,  we 
are  and  must  ever  be  as  utterly  dissimilar,  as  though  we 
inhabited  different  worlds ! 

' '  I  can  pardon  and  forget  the  insult  you  have  offered  one 
you  scarcely  know,  by  speaking  thus,  only  on  condition 
of  its  never  being  offered  again ;  for  it  is  an  insult  to  speak 
such  words  to  a  young  girl,  who  three  weeks  since  had 
never  seen  your  face,  or  known  of  your  existence,  and 
who  even  now  knows  almost  as  little  of  you.  These  may 
be  the  customs  of  the  East,  where  women  are  but  servile 
playthings  —  mere  toys  for  men  !  They  are  not  of  the 
West!" 

Recovering  her  self-possession  as  she  spoke  these  words, 
and  almost  warming  into  indignation  as  she  proceeded, 
she  once  more  moved  toward  the  cabin-door.  But  the 
Egyptian  gently,  though  firmly,  detained  her ;  laying  his 
hand  upon  her  arm  with  a  gesture  of  entreaty,  and  with 
despair  stamped  upon  his  speaking  features. 


ASKAROS   K ASS  IS.  119 

"Lady,  you  do  me  wrong  !  "  he  said.  "  Sooner  than 
utter  one  word  that  could  give  you  pain,  or  one  syllable 
that  savored  of  disrespect,  I  would  pluck  out  my  tongue 
from  its  roots.  If  I  sinned  against  your  maiden  modesty, 
by  aught  that  I  have  said  or  done,  punish  me  by  banish- 
ment from  your  presence  —  no  crueler  torture  could  be 
inflicted  on  me.  But  the  tongue  of  Askaros  has  never 
lied ;  and  I  swear  to  you  by  my  mother's  grave  !  that  in 
this  thing  I  have  sinned  through  ignorance  of  the  ways 
and  usages  of  your  people,  which  I  thought  allowed  free 
utterance  between  man  and  woman  of  the  thoughts  of 
their  hearts,  when  they  were  pure  —  and  deemed  it  no 
shame. 

"  In  sorrow  and  contrition  now  do  I  see  how  great  was 
my  folly,  to  dream  that  you  had  ever  for  a  moment 
viewed  me  other  than  as  a  creature  of  another  race,  and 
of  another  nature  than  your  own.  In  that  knowledge 
lies  my  heaviest  punishment  —  the  atonement  of  my  wild 
frenzy  !  Pardon  and  forget  it ;  and  never  again  by  word, 
or  look,  shall  any  repetition  of  it  offend  you  !  But  banish 
me  not,  I  pray  you !  from  your  presence  hereafter.  That 
is  all  the  boon  I  ask  ! ' ' 

As  he  uttered  these  words  in  proud  humility,  the  young 
Egyptian  knelt  down  with  a  movement  full  of  grace  and 
gentleness ;  and  taking  Edith's  passive  hand,  pressed  his 
lips  lightly  upon  it.  Then  laying  his  own  right  hand  upon 
his  heart,  he  bent  his  head  in  lowly  reverence,  as  though 
to  an  empress,  and  glided  swiftly  to  the  other  end  of  the 
boat,  leaving  the  young  girl  too  rapidly  to  permit  a  reply. 

Slowly,  and  moving  like  one  in  a  dream,  the  young 
girl — whose  virgin  heart  had  been,  for  the  first  time,  so 
suddenly  and  so  painfully  stirred  from  its  repose  into 
womanly  consciousness  and  introspection  —  moved  back 


I2O  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

into  the  cabin,  and  sank  upon  a  divan  with  her  face  buried 
in  her  hands,  vainly  striving  to  collect  her  scattered 
thoughts. 

Had  she  spoken  truly  to  Askaros  ?  And  did  she  really 
feel  the  indignation  she  had  expressed  at  his  avowal? 
No  !  she  felt  within  her  inmost  soul  the  confession  he 
had  made  her  was  not  without  a  subtle  and  secret  charm ; 
and  that  the  recollection  of  it  had  sent  a  pleasing  thrill 
through  her  heart,  that  still  fluttered  as  wildly  as  an  un- 
tamed bird,  first  clutched  by  the  hand  of  its  captor. 

Did  she  return  his  passion  ?  No  !  she  felt  that  she  did 
not;  and  she  was  terrified  by  the  vehemence  of  his 
language  and  the  violence  of  his  feelings,  which  his 
Oriental  fervor  had  exaggerated.  But  she  also  acknowl- 
edged to  herself  that  she  was  not  fancy  free ;  though,  as 
yet,  she  had  nourished  only  romantic  dreams  and  shadowy 
visions,  into  which  no  thought  of  reality  had  entered,  no 
plans  for  the  future,  with  her  as  yet  a  blank. 

Was  what  he  proposed  possible?  Could  the  time  ever 
come,  when  this  young  Eastern  Antinous  could  be  more 
to  her  than  one  of  those  bright  memories  of  her  brief 
Egyptian  experience,  blending  in  the  picture  of  mosque 
and.  minaret,  palm-trees  and  camels,  veiled  women  and 
turbaned  men ;  like  the  figures  in  the  foreground  of  some 
painted  landscape,  which  the  eye  loves  to  rest  upon  —  a 
thing  of  beauty  and  a  joy  forever  !  No,  a  thousand  times 
no  !  He  was,  and  must  be  ever  to  her,  what  she  had 
named  him  at  first  sight  —  Haroun  el  Reschid  ;  a  revival 
of  the  enchanted  tales  which  had  bewitched  her  child- 
hood, but,  like  them,  never  entering  the  domain  of  actual 
life. 

Had  she  encouraged  his  hopeless  passion  ?  She  ac- 
quitted herself  on  that  score ;  for  she  had  carefully 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  121 

suppressed  any  indication  even  of  the  romantic  interest 
she  felt  in  him.  She  was  still  weaving  the  threads  of  her 
fancies  and  thoughts  in  her  newly  awakened  conscious- 
ness, when  the  two  other  young  men  came  tramping 
noisily  into  the  room,  talking  and  laughing  loudly  enough 
to  awaken  the  elders  from  their  profound  slumbers  ;  and 
created  a  diversion  in  her  thoughts,  bringing  her  back 
from  her  dreamland  into  that  of  reality. 

"Great  sport!"  cried  Sir  Charles.  "Lots  of  wild 
fowl !  Supplied  our  larder  for  a  month  with  ducks,  not 
to  mention  a  pelican  Harry  shot,  '  which  hath  an  ancient 
and  a  fishlike  smell,'  as  the  divine  William  expresses  it." 

"Were  you  only  shooting  at  ducks?"  inquired  Mr. 
Van  Camp,  stretching  himself.  "I  fancied  I  heard  a  vol- 
ley followed  by  a  scream,  just  as  I  was  losing  myself  in 
a  doze.  I  thought  you  had  killed  some  larger  game  than 
wildfowl." 

"  Harry  shot  at  a  buffalo,  mistaking  him  for  a  croco- 
dile," answered  the  Englishman.  "Beast  was  in  the 
water,  with  his  head  hidden  in  the  rushes.  Harry  took 
his  back  for  the  god  of  the  ancient  Egyptians,  peppered 
him  badly  with  small  shot,  and  made  him  scamper  up  the 
bank  in  double  quick.  I'm  not  quite  sure  he  did  'nt  bag 
an  Arab  woman  too,  she  screeched  so.  Suppose,  how- 
ever, it  was  only  sympathy  for  the  beast,  though,  whose 
hide  much  resembled  hers  in  color  and  toughness,  as  she 
stood  knee-deep  in  the  rushes  where  the  fellow  broke 
cover,  wringing  linen  and  her  hands  !  ' ' 

"You  fired  at  the  buffalo,  too  !  "  cried  Harry,  rather 
sulkily,  nettled  as  well  at  the  imputation  on  his  sports- 
manship as  at  the  laughter  that  greeted  Sir  Charles's 
recital.  "Why,  you  shot  first !  Why  do  you  put  it  all 
on  me?  and  you  missed  the  thing,  besides." 


122  ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS. 

"Very  true,  my  dear  boy,"  was  the  serene  response. 
"So  I  did  ;  but  I  shot  at  him  on  the  same  principle  as 
your  American  novice  did  at  the  calf  he  mistook  for  a 
deer  —  to  miss  it  if  it  was  a  calf,  and  hit  it  if  it  was  a 
deer.  On  the  same  principle  I  proceeded  to  miss  the 
buffalo  that  was  not  a  crocodile,  and  now  make  game  of 
you  for  not  doing  likewise.  But  where  is  our  host,  and 
where  is  dinner  ?  for  smoke  and  coffee  sit  lightly  on  the 
stomach  ! ' ' 

Sir  Charles's  spirits  seemed  to  carry  him  away  as  if  he 
had  been  a  schoolboy  rather  than  a  six-foot  soldier ;  for, 
with  a  deep  salaam,  he  turned  to  Edith  before  any  one 
could  answer. 

"Ah!  fair  lady,  hast  thou  sent  away  the  Egyptian 
prince  on  some  impossible  errand  to  remote  Bagdad  ! ' ' 
he  said;  "and  wilt  thou  not  summon  him  back,  that 
the  humblest  of  thy  slaves  may  partake  of  the  dinner  of 
expectancy  on  the  cushions  of  contentment ;  and  subse- 
quently smoke  the  chibouque  of  digestion  on  the  divan 
of  postprandial  repose?" 

As  though  in  response  to  this  invocation,  and  before 
Edith  had  made  up  her  mind  what  badinage  to  reply, 
Askaros  glided  into  the  room,  with  that  noiseless  step 
characteristic  of  Orientals.  Short  as  had  been  the  time 
since  Edith  had  seen  that  countenance  convulsed  with 
strong  emotion,  it  was  now  as  serene  and  as  placid  as 
ever,  although  she  thought  she  could  detect  a  shade  of 
deeper  gravity  than  ordinary  lurking  under  its  repose. 
He  studiously  avoided  her  eye,  and  did  not  approach 
her,  but  answered  Sir  Charles  in  his  own  vein,  an- 
nouncing that  dinner,  a  V  Arabe,  would  soon  be  served, 
as  he  had  received  an  intimation  to  that  effect  from  his 
favorite  Nubian  attendant,  Ferraj. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  12$ 

Almost  immediately  the  Nubian  entered,  bearing  the 
tray,  and  the  guests  did  full  justice  to  the  viands  of 
Hajji  Mohammed,  the  Arab  cook,  who  had  exerted  all 
his  skill  to  subdue  the  palates  his  dainty  viands  and 
peculiar  plats  excited.  For  in  the  concoction  of  sauces 
— the  secret  spell  of  all  cookery — the  Arab  cook  equals, 
if  he  does  not  excel,  the  French,  whose  artists  have 
stolen  from  the  East  many  of  their  secrets  in  this  science, 
as  well  as  others,  without  acknowledgment.  The  people 
to  whom  Europe  and  America  owe  their  numerals,  their 
algebra,  and  their  metaphysics,  have  bequeathed  many 
culinary  discoveries,  whose  first  professors  have  slept  the 
sleep  of  the  embalmed  many  thousand  years,  beside  the 
mummies  of  Pharaoh  and  Rameses. 

The  Nubian,  Ferraj,  who  served  the  repast,  was  the 
favorite  slave  of  Askaros,  to  whom  he  was  devoted  with 
a  spaniel-like  affection  and  fidelity.  As  he  moved  about 
the  cabin  he  attracted  the  special  attention  of  Sir  Charles, 
who,  turning  to  Askaros,  said  : 

"Fine  creature,  that  of  yours  ;  splendid  specimen  of 
ebony  carving  !  He  's  the  best  I  ever  saw,  with  none  of 
the  peculiarities  of  the  Simian  species  about  him.  No 
more  like  the  '  man  and  brother '  Boston  and  Exeter 
Hall  howl  over,  than  Harry's  crocodile  was  like  the 
genuine  article.  Must  have  been  painted  black ;  he 
could  n't  have  taken  it  the  natural  way.  Our  niggers  in 
India  are  better  than  the  '  Eboskins,'  but  don't  come  up 
to  this  standard.  Where  and  how  did  you  pick  him  up? 
Would  like  his  duplicate  amazingly  !  " 

"He  is  my  friend  as  well  as  my  favorite  slave;  one 
of  nature's  own  noblemen,"  replied  the  Copt.  "I 
bought  him,  when  a  boy,  from  one  of  the  Jellabs,  (slave- 
dealers,)  for  a  hundred  piastres.  He  is  a  Nubian,  not 


124  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

what  you  term  negro ;  and,  in  his  own  way,  has  the 
pride  of  a  prince,  and  much  better  principles  than  many 
who  own  that  title.  Truthfulness,  courage,  and  fidelity, 
are  his  great  characteristics.  His  value  to  me  is  above 
rubies,  for  I  could  safely  trust  my  life  in  his  hands.  As 
you  see,  his  slavery  does  not  sit  heavily  upon  him,  nor 
his  chains  gall  him  much." 

"  I  can  understand,"  broke  in  Miss  Priscilla,  severely, 
"how  the  heathen  and  benighted  Turks,  who  worship 
cats  and  crocodiles,  can  hold  their  brother  men  in 
bondage ;  but  how  you,  who  profess  to  be  Christians, 
can  reconcile  yourselves  to  practise  or  to  countenance 
such  a  sin,  is  beyond  my  comprehension  !  Why  do  you 
not  liberate  this  unfortunate  young  man?  who  is  your 
brother,  though  his  face  is  black  ! ' ' 

"Can't  see  the  family  likeness;  can't,  'pon  my 
soul!"  muttered  Sir  Charles  to  Harry.  "But  must 
have  been  by  another  mother.  Miss  Primmins  knows 
no  scandal,  I  hope,  about  the  respected  father  of  our 
respected  host,  whose  family  affairs  we  should  not  pry 
into." 

"  Sir  Charles,  you  must  certainly  have  drunk  too  much 
of  that  arrackee  ! ' '  cried  the  spinster,  whose  sharp  ears 
had  caught  the  remark;  "and  I  shall  retire  if  you  con- 
tinue this  vein  of  conversation." 

"My  dear  lady,"  replied  the  Englishman,  courte- 
ously, "  I  beg  a  thousand  pardons  ;  but  I  really  did  not 
intend  my  remark  to  reach  your  ear,  as  you  seem  to 
suppose.  ' Honi  soit  qui  mal y  pensej  you  know;  but 
let  us  change  the  subject." 


CHAPTER   X. 

PERIL   AND    RESCUE. 

WHILE  they  were  dining,  the  dahabieh  had  turned, 
and  was  rapidly  descending  the  stream  on  her 
return.  The  sail  was  lowered,  and  they  dropped  down 
with  the  current,  which,  as  it  was  the  season  of  high 
Nile,  ran  at  the  rate  of  some  five  miles  per  hour.  The 
crew  put  in  their  oars  and  pulled  lustily,  keeping  time  in 
a  sort  of  rude  chant,  its  words  improvised  by  one  of 
their  number,  while  the  others  joined  in  the  burden  of 
the  song  in  a  sort  of  chorus.  This  scarce  awakened  an 
echo  from  the  flat  banks  of  the  river,  but  sounded  musi- 
cally over  the  water.  The  boatmen  wore  only  the  coarse 
blue  shirt  and  fez  cap  of  the  country,  their  brawny  arms, 
chests,  and  legs  bare,  and  resembling  bronze  statues  more 
than  men  —  moving  backward  and  forward  all  together, 
with  the  regularity  of  machinery,  at  the  dip  and  stroke 
of  their  oars. 

And  so  the  dahabieh  glided  down  the  current  with  her 
freight,  until,  near  Boulak,  the  whole  party  came  out  upon 
the  upper  deck  to  enjoy  the  fresh  evening  air;  for  the 
sun  was  rapidly  declining,  and  the  fiery  splendor  of 
noonday  was  succeeded  by  the  softened  shadows  of  com- 
ii*  125 


126  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

ing  night.  Suddenly  Edith  uttered  an  exclamation  of 
surprise  and  pleasure. 

"Oh,  how  lovely  !  "  she  exclaimed,  pointing  to  Rhoda 
Island,  just  then  coming  into  view.  "  Is  that  the  mirage 
we  have  heard  of,  or  is  it  a  real  island  ?  It  more  resem- 
bles a  glimpse  of  fairy-land.  '  Uno pezzo  di  cielo  caduto 
in  terra,'  as  the  Italian  poet  says.  What  is  that  lovely 
spot,  and  how  is  it  named?  " 

"That  is  Rhoda  Island,"  Askaros  responded j  "and 
very  lovely  indeed  it  is,  for  both  nature  and  art  have 
rivalled  to  make  it  a  little  paradise.  The  marble  palace 
you  see  gleaming  yonder,  with  its  steps  sloping  down  to 
the  water,  and  its  terraced  gardens  of  rare  exotics  in 
front  and  rear,  is  the  favorite  retreat  of  Ismail  Pasha 
now,  as  it  was  of  his  father,  Ibrahim,  formerly.  Every 
inch  of  this  little  island  of  the  Nile  has  been  beautified, 
and  all  the  resources  of  our  Eastern  gardeners  exhausted. 
Look  at  the  tasteful  little  kiosks  and  pleasure-houses 
scattered  at  intervals,  and  gleaming  white  through  the 
vistas  of  trees !  Is  it  not  really,  as  you  have  said,  a  fairy- 
looking  spot?" 

"It  is  indeed,"  answered  Edith.  Then  clasping  her 
hands  impulsively  together,  she  said,  as  if  to  herself,  and 
unconscious  of  a  listener:  "Oh!  how  I  should  love  to 
visit  it." 

"Nothing  can  be  easier,"  returned  Askaros,  as  though 
in  reply  to  a  remark  made  to  himself.  "My  dahabieh 
draws  too  much  water  to  approach  the  steps,  and  the 
ordinary  gate  of  entrance  is  closed ;  but  I  have  attached 
to  this  boat  a  light  caique,  made  on  the  model  of  those 
at  Stamboul,  in  which  I  can  easily  take  you  to  Rhoda,  if 
your  aunt  will  accompany  you.  It  will  only  accommo- 
date four  persons,  so  one  of  the  gentlemen  and  myself 
can  row  vou." 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  \2J 

A  look  of  sweet  entreaty  from  Edith  to  the  spinster 
extracted  from  her  a  grim  assent  to  the  proposal ;  and 
Sir  Charles  insisted  on  being  second  oar,  having  been 
famous  in  former  days  as  the  crack  "stroke"  of  the 
"Oxford  U.  B.  C." 

This  being  settled,  the  dahabieh  was  soon  run  into  the 
farther  shore  and  made  fast,  while  the  graceful  caique — 
looking  like  an  Indian  bark  canoe,  only  sharper,  shal- 
lower, and  slighter  —  was  soon  floating  like  a  cork  upon 
the  water. 

Shutting  her  eyes,  and  resigning  herself  to  the  inevi- 
table drowning  she  saw  awaited  her,  Miss  Primmins  hero- 
ically stepped  into  the  frail  skiff,  which  rocked  fearfully 
as  she  did  so,  and  crouched  with  Edith  on  the  cushions 
in  the  stern.  Askaros  and  the  Englishman  took  the 
light  oars,  turned  their  backs  to  the  ladies,  and,  with  a 
warning  from  the  Egyptian  that  neither  of  them  was  on 
any  pretence  to  move  from  her  position,  as  the  caique  was 
very  easily  upset,  they  shot  out  into  the  stream,  struggled 
a  moment  against  the  current,  then  darted,  with  bird-like 
movement,  over  the  rippling  waters. 

"Very  nice,  indeed!"  said  Miss  Primmins,  leaning 
forward  as  she  spoke,  but  suddenly  recalled  to  herself  by 
a  dip  of  the  frail  bark  that  almost  emptied  her  into  the 
river.  "Good  gracious,  what  a  cranky  little  thing  !  " 

"Be  careful !  "  cried  Askaros;  "you  came  near  over- 
setting us  that  time,  Miss  Primmins.  Sit  still,  if  you  wish 
to  cross  safely ;  for  a  dip  in  the  Nile  at  high  water  is  no 
joke,  I  assure  you." 

Thus  admonished,  the  spinster  sat  pale  and  trembling, 
and  her  apprehensions  were  aggravated  by  the  next  re- 
mark of  Sir  Charles,  who  sought  to  play  upon  them. 

"You    asked   about    crocodiles   this   morning,    Miss 


128  ASKAROS    K ASS  IS. 

Primmins,' '  he  said,  "but  you  forget  a  far  more  dangerous 
creature  the  Nile  often  conceals.  I  mean  the  hippopota- 
mus !  Have  seen  him  in  menageries ;  would  be  a  mighty 
ugly  customer  to  meet  in  such  an  egg-shell  as  this. ' ' 

"Good  heavens!"  almost  screamed  the  terrified  wo- 
man. "You  don't  mean  to  tell  me  that  hideous  and 
terrible  creature  lives  in  this  river?  Turn  back,  oh,  good 
young  men,  turn  back !  Put  me  on  shore  anywhere  ! ' ' 
and  she  wrung  her  hands  in  hysterical  terror,  not  daring 
otherwise  to  move. 

Askaros  was  about  to  reassure  the  trembling  victim, 
whom  the  strangeness  of  her  situation,  and  superadded 
nervous  excitement,  deprived  of  her  usual  common  sense, 
hard,  shrewd,  and  not  to  be  imposed  on.  But  before  he 
could  speak,  shrill,  high,  and  keen  rang  a  shriek  from 
Miss  Priscilla;  and,  turning  their  heads  simultaneously, 
both  men  beheld  her  staring  fixedly  on  a  monstrous 
head,  with  broad  flat  nostrils,  and  wild,  rolling  eyes,  that 
rose  slowly  above  the  surface  of  the  stream  close  to  the 
elbow  of  the  terrified  spinster.  Then,  ere  Askaros  could 
shout,  "A  water-ox!  sit  still!"  he  saw  the  gaunt  form 
of  Miss  Priscilla  precipitate  itself  forward  frantically,  felt 
the  frail  caique  tremble  from  stem  to  stern,  and  the  next 
instant  all  four  were  plunged  into  the  swollen  and  turbid 
waters  of  the  Nile. 

Sir  Charles,  too,  saw  the  peril  at  a  glance,  and  turned  to 
clutch  at  Edith,  to  save  whom,  at  that  moment,  was  his 
sole  thought,  utterly  regardless  of  the  peril  to  his  own  life. 

As  though  by  a  lightning-flash,  at  this  instant  of  supreme 
peril,  his  own  love  for  her  stood  revealed  for  the  first 
time  to  himself.  He  would  save  her  or  perish  with  her. 

But  his  heroism  was  frustrated ;  for,  as  he  turned,  he 
suddenly  felt  the  bony  arms  of  Miss  Priscilla  tightened 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  1 29 

around  his  neck  to  the  verge  of  suffocation,  while  the  spare 
form  clung  to  him  with  the  desperate  tenacity  of  a  drown- 
ing woman,  as  they  went  down  together  under  the  turbid 
waters  of  the  rushing  river.  Wrenching  himself  free 
from  her  desperate  death -grip,  as  the  fainting  fingers  re- 
laxed, but  retaining  his  hold  of  her  hair,  the  practised 
swimmer  rose  again  to  the  surface,  supporting  the  head 
of  his  burden  above  the  water.  His  eye,  thrown  despair- 
ingly around,  could  see  no  other  struggling  forms  upon 
the  surface  of  the  stream  ;  but  the  next  instant  his  dreadful 
suspense  was  relieved.  The  surface  bubbled,  broke,  and 
the  form  of  Askaros  rose  from  the  depths,  bearing  on  his 
arm  the  sunny,  but  dripping  head  of  Edith,  its  wealth  of 
dishevelled  curls  floating  over  the  breast  of  her  rescuer 
from  the  slimy  mud  of  the  Nile  bed. 

The  fair  girl  was  insensible,  hanging  like  a  dead  weight 
on  the  supporting  arm  of  the  Egyptian,  who  floated  him- 
self and  his  precious  burden  as  easily  as  though  in  his 
native  element;  and,  with  a  deep  sigh  of  thankfulness, 
the  Englishman  saw  that  she  was  safe  from  immediate 
peril,  under  that  protection. 

"Beware  of  the  under-tow  !  "  shouted  Askaros,  per- 
ceiving him.  "  Do  not  try  to  swim  ashore,  or  turn  back. 
The  deep  mud  is  as  treacherous  one  way  as  the  strong 
current  the  other.  Keep  tvfloat  only,  and  rescue  will  soon 
reach  us  from  the  dahabieh.  They  must  have  seen  our 
accident. ' ' 

He  was  obeyed  and  his  prediction  verified  before  even 
he  expected ;  for  no  sooner  had  the  caique  overturned 
than  half  a  dozen  dusky  forms  plunged  from  the  side  of 
the  dahabieh  into  the  water.  Seizing  on  a  small  boat 
attached  to  her  stern,  they  manned  it,  grasped  their  oars, 
and  pulled  lustily  to  the  rescue ;  Ferraj,  the  Nubian,  acting 

I 


130  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

as  steersman,  and  exhorting  the  rowers  to  renewed  effort 
with  such  vigor  that  his  black  face  glistened  with  the 
moisture  that  gathered  over  it. 

Only  a  few  seconds  —  which  seemed  hours  to  the 
anxious  but  intrepid  men  supporting  their  frail  and  faint- 
ing charges  in  the  water  —  and  they  were  dragged  on 
board  the  boat ;  the  women  wrapped  in  shawls,  brought 
by  the  thoughtful  care  of  the  Nubian,  and  restored  to 
consciousness. 

The  languid  eyes  of  Edith  rested,  as  they  opened,  first 
upon  the  anxious  faces  of  father  and  brother ;  and  she 
smiled  a  wan  smile  to  reassure  them.  Then  turning  her 
glance  to  the  other  side  of  the  boat,  where  stood  the 
dripping  figure  of  Askaros  —  his  face  still  pallid  from 
emotion,  and  his  form  still  trembling  from  the  violent 
exertions  he  had  made  so  lately  —  she  stretched  out  her 
hands  in  mute  gesture  of  supplication  and  gratitude 
toward  him,  and  murmured : 

"Twice  saved  from  a  dreadful  death !  How  can  I  ever 
be  grateful  enough  ? ' ' 

The  quick  ear  of  Sir  Charles  caught  the  low  tones,  and 
partly  their  meaning,  and  a  fierce  pang  of  jealousy  thrilled 
through  his  awakened  heart;  but  his  native  generosity 
of  soul  conquered.  He  turned  to  Mr.  Van  Camp  with 
more  dignity  and  gravity  of  manner  than  he  habitually 
assumed,  and  said,  pointing  to  Askaros : 

"Sir,  your  thanks  are  due  to  that  gallant  gentleman, 
for  having  saved  the  life  of  your  daughter,  imperilled 
through  my  thoughtless  folly  and  ill-timed  jesting.  For 
it  I  ask  pardon  of  both  the  ladies,  but  more  especially  of 
Miss  Primmins,  to  whom  I  owe  a  double  apology ;  though 
I  never  dreamed  my  silly  speech  could  lead  to  serious 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  .         13! 

consequences,  till  that  hideous  water-ox  rose,  and  the 
mischief  was  done." 

Miss  Priscilla,  from  her  mummy  -  like  swathing  of 
shawls,  feebly  twittered  a  pardon  to  the  frank  English- 
man, mingled  with  protestations  that  he  had  been  "her 
saviour,"  etc.,  while  Edith  flashed  upon  him  a  bright 
glance  of  approval,  that  sent  sunshine  to  his  soul.  Mr. 
Van  Camp  and  his  son  wrung  the  hand  of  Askaros  in 
true  American  fashion,  even  to  the  infliction  of  physical 
pain.  Edith  only  looked  her  gratitude;  but  it  cannot  be 
doubted  he  preferred  that  mute  recognition  to  the  more 
violent  demonstrations  of  father  and  son ;  or  even  to  the 
flattering  testimony  of  the  Englishman,  whom,  with  the 
quick  eye  of  love,  he  recognized  as  his  rival. 

Sobered  and  rendered  serious  by  the  almost  tragical 
termination  of  their  day's  pleasure-excursion,  there  was 
little  said  by  any  of  the  party  on  their  ride  back  to  the 
hotel.  On  reaching  it,  the  ladies  retired  to  their  rooms, 
and  Askaros  to  his  home,  to  change  their  still  wet  cloth- 
ing, and  adopt  the  necessary  precautions  after  their  unex 
pected  cold  bath  in  the  waters  of  the  Nile. 

But  that  day  was  the  turning-point  of  three  lives  ;  and 
the  after  destiny  of  each  and  all  the  three  was  first  shadow- 
ed and  commenced  with  that  sail  on  the  dahabieh.  Each 
of  the  three  had  learned  many  new  things,  and  awakened 
to  new  self-consciousness  within  a  few  hours ;  but  none 
of  them  could  conjecture,  even  dimly,  the  future  of  the 
others,  nor  their  relative  relations  one  to  the  other  in  the 
coming  years.  Time  alone  —  a  greater  reader  of  riddles 
than  the  Sphinx — could  solve  the  problem  of  what  those 
future  destinies  might  be. 

As  Askaros  stood  on  the  threshold  of  his  home,  he 
paused,  turned  his  eyes  upon  the  spot  where  the  serpent- 


132 


ASKAROS   KASSIS. 


charm  had  manifested  itself  upon  the  young  girl  —  then 
a  stranger  to  him,  but  now  the  very  light  of  his  life — and 
muttered : 

"Were  I  a  Mussulman,  I  would  say  it  was  kismet 
(destiny)  !  Twice  have  I  been  made  to  save  her  life  at 
the  risk  of  my  own ;  yet  my  passion  only  excited  her 
scorn  to-day  !  But  the  look  she  gave  me  this  evening 
almost  repaid  me  for  the  morning  —  for  all !  " 

So,  with  the  blind  fatuity  of  all  real  lovers  —  pressing 
deeper  into  his  heart  the  barb  that  rankled  there  — 
clutching  at  the  shadow  of  a  hope  where  there  seemed 
really  none,  and  confounding  gratitude  with^  affection  — 
the  young  Egyptian,  with  a  lighter  heart,  entered  the 
house  and  passed  into  his  father's  presence. 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE  BULBUL  AND  THE  ROSE. 

NIGHT  had  fallen  upon  the  city  of  Cairo,  and  the 
shadows  projected  from  the  tall  houses  into  the 
narrow  streets  looked  like  solid  masses  of  black  stone, 
so  clear  and  brilliant  was  the  moonlight.  The  stars, 
large  and  lustrous,  like  great  lamps  suspended  from  an 
azure  dome,  shone  with  that  clear,  white  light  peculiar 
to  their  lustre  in  Eastern  heavens  —  unknown  to  the 
watchers  of  the  cloudy  skies  of  Europe  or  America. 

It  was  on  such  nights,  and  through  similar  streets  and 
scenes,  that  the  good  Haroun  el  Reschid  was  wont  to 
take  his  rambles  with  his  vizier  Giaffir,  in  search  of 
strange  adventure.  So  let  us  now  follow  the  footsteps 
of  one  of  his  innumerable  imitators  in  nocturnal  rambles 
under  Eastern  skies,  whose  mission  was  very  dissimilar 
to  that  of  the  famous  caliph,  though  not  without  its 
romance  and  its  danger,  too. 

About  midnight  might  have  been  seen  a  man,  ap- 
parently young  and  vigorous,  wending  his  way  through 
the  outskirts  of  Boulak,  choosing  the  most  obscure 
streets,  as  though  to  avoid  observation,  until  he  reached 
the  high  stone  wall  of  the  palace  of  the  Princess  Nezle* 
12  '33 


134  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

Khanum,  which,  as  before  described,  faced  on  the  Nile. 
There  was  nothing  in  this  man's  appearance  and  dress 
to  distinguish  him  from  one  of  the  ordinary  occupants 
of  the  quarter,  except  that,  on  his  left  hand,  when  he 
raised  it,  there  sparkled  a  precious  stone,  and  that  the 
hand  itself  did  not  resemble  that  of  the  common  laborer. 
What  was  unusual  was  that  he  bore  no  lantern  to  light 
his  way ;  which  both  law  and  custom,  as  well  as  safety, 
required. 

Concealed  under  the  shadow  of  the  wall,  he  carefully 
groped  along  in  the  obscurity,  occasionally  disturbing 
some  prowling  or  slumbering  wild  dog,  which,  snarling 
fiercely,  and  menacing  the  intruder  with  its  sharp  white 
teeth,  sullenly  and  reluctantly  retreated  before  his  steps. 
But  as  the  Egyptian  wild  dog  never  barks  —  partaking 
of  the  savage  nature  of  his  ancestor,  the  wolf,  in  that 
respect  —  no  warning  of  the  visitor's  stealthy  approach 
was  given  to  the  guardians  of  the  hareem,  if,  indeed, 
any  person  in  its  vicinity  was  awake  at  that  late  hour ; 
the  Orientals  all  retiring  early  to  rest. 

At  length  the  man  stopped,  and  tapped  three  times  at 
a  particular  spot  on  the  wall.  Immediately  a  small  gate, 
invisible  before,  swung  within  noiselessly,  opened  by  an 
unseen  hand ;  and,  as  he  stepped  into  the  garden,  the 
door  closed  as  swiftly  and  noiselessly  as  it  had  opened  — 
indistinguishable  as  before  from  the  wall.  The  man 
softly  clapped  his  hands  three  times,  and  suddenly  ap- 
peared before  him  a  veiled  female  figure,  shrouded  from 
head  to  foot  in  the  abba,  a  voluminous  black  silk  cloak, 
worn  by  the  Cairene  women  in  the  streets. 

" Salaam  Aleikoum!  You  are  waited  for,"  she  said, 
in  Arabic.  ''The  Sitta  has  long  been  expecting  your 
arrival.  Come  quickly,  for  you  know  she  likes  not  to 


ASKAROS    K 'ASS IS.  135 

be  kept  waiting,  and,  if  her  impatience  rises  to  wrath,  it 
is  a  consuming  fire  !  " 

The  untimely  visitor  returned  her  salutation,  but  fol- 
lowed her  footsteps  in  silence  through  the  solitude  of  the 
garden,  to  which  the  black  shadows  of  the  trees  gave  a 
gloomy  and  sinister  aspect  that  reflected  the  shadows  in 
his  own  soul.  For  his  was  not  the  mien,  the  bearing,  or 
the  step  of  an  impatient  lover  hastening  to  his  mistress ; 
but  rather  that  of  one  who  reluctantly  performs  a  duty 
not  to  be  avoided,  or  who  responds  to  an  invitation  he 
may  not  refuse.  They  passed  through  the  shrubberies 
into  the  palace  by  a  small  door,  which  his  conductor 
opened  with  a  wooden  key,  followed  many  winding 
passages,  and  ascended  a  narrow  stairway,  when  the 
visitor  found  himself  alone  in  a  lofty  chamber,  furnished 
with  all  the  luxury  of  the  East  —  a  chamber  which  he, 
unfortunately,  knew  only  too  well. 

It  was  the  private  boudoir  of  the  mistress  of  the  ha- 
reem ;  and  the  latticed  window,  overlooking  the  rushing 
torrent  of  the  Nile,  was  open,  giving  glimpses  of  the 
waters  which  boiled  and  bubbled  below,  as  they  raced 
hoarsely  past,  glittering  like  gems  in  the  bright  moon- 
light. The  man  cautiously  approached  the  open  lattice, 
and  peered  curiously  for  an  instant  on  the  rushing  river 
below,  whose  waters,  as  it  was  high  Nile,  rose  to  within 
twenty  feet  of  the  window. 

He  turned  away  after  a  moment,  however ;  and,  seat- 
ing himself  on  one  of  the  silken  divans,  was  soon  sunk 
in  so  deep  a  revery,  that  he  did  not  hear  the  rustling 
sound  that  announced  a  woman's  presence,  and  started 
when  a  soft  hand  was  laid  caressingly  on  his  brow,  and  a 
soft  voice  inquired : 


136  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

"Is  my  young  Antar  dreaming,  or  asleep,  that  he 
needs  waking?" 

The  young  man,  starting  up,  made  a  profound  and  re- 
spectful salutation,  as  he  answered : 

"The  night  is  always  dark  for  me,  until  the  evening 
star  comes  to  light  it  with  her  presence.  But  one  thought 
can  fill  the  soul  of  any  mortal  happy  enough  to  be  ad- 
mitted here;  and  that  is  of  her  I  now  see  before  me." 

"Well  sung,  my  bulbul !  "  said  the  lady,  unveiling  as 
she  spoke,  and  disclosing  the  imperious  beauty  and  bold 
bright  eyes  of  Nezle  Khanum  herself.  ' '  But  thou  shouldst 
not  compare  me  to  aught  so  cold  and  distant  as  a  star ! 
The  bulbul  ever  chants  his  love-song  to  the  rose.  And 
am  I  not  worthy  to  be  deemed  a  rose?"  she  added 
softly,  glancing  down  over  her  own  voluptuous  form, 
and  fastening  upon  him  the  unholy  light  of  eyes  full  of 
sensual  fire. 

"A  rose  thou  art,  indeed!"  cried  the  youth,  with 
genuine  passion  in  his  voice.  "A  rose,  indeed  !  a  full- 
blown rose,  whose  perfume  and  whose  loveliness  intoxi- 
cate the  senses  and  the  soul !  The  song  of  the  bulbul 
must  ever  be  addressed  to  thee,  O  light  of  mine  eyes  and 
blood  of  my  heart!  " 

The  face  of  the  princess  glowed  with  gratified  vanity 
at  these  impassioned  words,  poured  out  with  burning 
ardor — either  felt  or  feigned  —  by  the  lips  she  loved 
best.  With  all  the  abandon  and  recklessness  of  an 
Eastern  woman — who  flings  all  modesty  and  all  reserve 
to  the  winds,  and  whose  sense  of  shame  seems  utterly  to 
disappear  with  the  veil  that  has  concealed  her  face  —  she 
threw  herself  on  the  divan  beside  her  lover,  and  lavished 
upon  him  all  those  terms  of  endearment  of  which  the 
Eastern  tongue  is  so  profuse.  She  removed  the  fez  cap 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  137 

that  he  wore,  and  toyed  with  the  short,  clustering  curls 
of  his  hair;  and,  reposing  her  head  upon  his  breast, 
looked  up  into  his  face  with  a  soft  glow  on  her  features, 
and  a  tenderness  in  her  eye,  that  transformed  her  into 
another  woman  from  the  eagle-eyed  and  imperious  Nezle 
Khanum  of  every  day.  She  seemed  to  renew  her  own 
youth  with  proximity  to  this  young  lover,  the  beauty  of 
whose  face  and  form  were  well  calculated  to  inspire  ad- 
miration in  the  heart  of  woman. 

The  hours  glided  away,  and  the  interview  had  been 
prolonged  until  the  first  faint  streaks  in  the  Eastern  sky 
heralded  the  approach  of  dawn.  The  young  man  glanced 
up  through  the  open  lattice,  and  said : 

"The  morning  hour  approaches,  and  I  must  tear  my- 
self away  from  paradise  before  the  dawn :  and  the  bulbul 
has  not  yet  been  told,  why  the  rose  summoned  him  to 
her  bower  so  urgently  on  this  most  favored  of  all  the 
days  of  his  life." 

As  he  spoke,  the  face  of  the  princess,  so  radiant  and 
so  loving  until  now,  suddenly  changed  its  expression. 
The  smile  faded  away  from  her  lips,  the  light  of  love 
from  her  eye,  and  the  soft  glow  of  gratified  passion  was 
succeeded  by  the  red  flush  of  anger.  She  half  withdrew 
her  form  from  the  encircling  arm  of  her  lover,  and  re- 
moved her  hand  from  his  brow,  where  it  had  rested 
caressingly.  Then  a  cold,  cruel  expression  crept  over 
her  countenance,  and  gleamed  out  of  her  glittering  eyes. 
She  seemed  suddenly  to  have  recalled  some  painful  and 
irritating  memory,  which  the  presence  of  her  lover  had 
caused  her  to  forget,  but  which  his  words  recalled.  Her 
tone  grew  measured  and  hard  as  she  replied  : 

"There  was  a  time  when  the  bulbul  needed  no  mes- 
senger to  summon  him  to  the  bower  of  the  rose !  when 
12* 


138  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

the  garden  where  she  dispensed  her  perfume  was  haunted 
by  his  presence ;  and  when  his  wings  could  not  bear  him 
swiftly  enough  back  to  her,  from  other  wanderings.  But 
now  it  is  different.  The  bulbul  must  be  lured  back;  and 
no  sooner  has  he  been  snared,  than  his  wings  flutter  im- 
patiently to  fly  again.  But  the  pretty  bird  should  know ' ' 
— and  she  cast  upon  him  a  look  full  of  menace  and  of 
mockery  —  "that  this  cage  is  strong,  and  he  may  be 
made  to  sing  in  captivity,  as  other  birds  have  before  him. 
For  the  rose  has  thorns  as  well  as  sweetness  ever;  and 
those  who  have  tasted  the  one,  may  feel  the  other  too  !  " 

There  was  no  love  now  in  the  face  or  in  the  eyes  that 
looked  upon  him,  and  the  man  felt  his  peril — saw,  too 
late,  the  trap  into  which  he  had  walked  blindfold.  But 
he  summoned  all  his  courage  and  his  craft  to  meet  the 
emergency  and  baffle  the  danger. 

' '  Why  is  the  star  of  my  night  so  suddenly  overclouded  ? ' ' 
he  asked,  with  real  or  feigned  anxiety.  "Why  is  her 
light  withdrawn  from  her  worshipper?  What  sin  has  her 
servant  committed,  that  the  ire  of  the  great  lady  should 
visit  him?  He  is  innocent  of  intending  offence — igno- 
rant of  having  given  any  —  and  why  should  the  Khanum 
speak  as  though  to  one  who  had  provoked  her  displeasure? 
If  his  visits  have  not  of  late  been  frequent,  it  was  because 
he  feared  to  intrude  without  invitation ;  for  it  needed  but 
the  intimation  that  he  would  be  welcome,  and  behold 
him  at  the  feet  of  her  who  has  honored  him  with  her 
favor ! ' 

"Thou  hast  the  tongue  as  well  as  the  sleek  skin  of  the 
serpent,"  answered  the  princess,  half  relenting,  half 
offended.  "But  thou  knowest  I  possess  the  serpent- 
charm,  and  can  handle  thee  with  impunity.  Thou  hast 
not  spoken  truly  to  me ;  thou  hast  acted  falsely  and 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  139 

treacherously,  too.  And  to  the  pale,  scentless  Ingleeze 
lily  thou  hast  chanted  thy  love-lays,  in  place  of  the  full- 
blown rose  !  Lie  not  to  me,  for  I  well  know  how  the 
shameless  face  of  that  unveiled  woman  hath  been  seen 
with  thine  on  the  Ezbekieh,  day  after  day !  To  the  scorn 
and  shame  of  womanhood,  she  hath  cast  love-looks  on 
thy  dainty  face  in  the  sight  of  all  men ;  even  to  the  mock- 
ery of  the  donkey-boys  of  the  streets.  Further  do  I 
know,  how  the  shameless  Infidel,  in  defiance  of  all 
modesty  and  decency,  hath  passed  a  whole  day  in  thy 
house  !  "  —  and  the  princess  spat  upon  the  ground  in 
token  of  loathing.  "  I  know,  too,  the  story  of  the  tame 
serpent,  with  which  thou  didst  deceive  the  poor  silly 
Ingleeze,  and  that  other  trick  of  upsetting  the  shameless 
thing  in  the  Nile  mud,  to  parade  thy  bravery  again  before 
her  !  Yet,  with  her  kisses  warm  upon  thy  false  lips,  thou 
darest  come  and  talk  of  love  to  me,  while  I  am  weak 
fool  enough  to  listen,  forgetting  all  these  things,  and  all 
my  just  resentment,  like  a  silly  girl !  Have  I  not  spoken 
truly?  Answer,  O  man  of  double  face  and  forked 
tongue  ! ' ' 

Over  the  face  of  Askaros  —  for  it  was  he  to  whom  the 
princess  spoke  —  there  had,  in  spite  of  his  self-control, 
passed  many  changes,  as  the  furious  woman  went  on. 
Apprehension,  indignation,  rage,  shame,  and  disgust 
rapidly  chased  each  other  over  his  expressive  features ; 
and  when  the  princess  ceased,  from  sheer  exhaustion, 
overpowered  by  the  passions  that  raged  within  and  tore 
her  like  so  many  devils,  he  raised  his  crest  haughtily. 

No  trace  of  humility  or  of  reverence  in  his  face  or 
voice  now,  but,  with  a  steadfast  light  in  his  eye,  and  re- 
solve written  on  his  dilating  nostril,  he  stood  like  some 


140  ASKAKOS    KASSIS. 

wounded  lion  brought  to  bay,  and  confronted  the  proud 
princess  with  a  pride  equal  to  her  own. 

"Lady,"  he  said,  "  for  the  first  time  since  we  have 
known  each  other,  you  have  spoken  words  of  scorn  and 
insult  to  me,  which  no  man  might  utter  and  live.  Those 
words  I  might  forget  and  forgive,  possibly  pardon,  for  I 
know  they  spring  from  a  jealousy  fierce  as  it  is  unfounded. 
But  you  have  coupled  with  my  name  that  of  another, 
which  has  no  connection  with  either  of  us  —  the  name  of 
one,  the  purity  of  whose  life  and  thoughts  neither  of  us  can 
imitate,  scarcely  comprehend  —  one  as  widely  apart  from 
us  and  ours,  as  though  she  were  one  of  the  Houris  of 
whom  your  imaums  speak  !  I  swear  to  you,  by  my  life 
and  soul,  that  your  suspicions  are  unfounded ;  for  I  am 
nothing  to  this  Ingleeze  woman,  nor  she  to  me.  And 
furthermore,  if  that  will  not  content  you,  let  me  tell  you, 
that  when  I,  in  my  mad  folly,  dared  to  speak  of  my  ad- 
miration, she  repulsed  it,  as  you  would  that  of  the  meanest 
of  your  slaves !  If,  then,  I  have  had  a  short  madness,  and 
been  unfaithful  to  you  for  a  few  brief  moments,  the  folly  is 
past  and  gone.  Now  I  resume  my  allegiance,  and  ask 
forgiveness  from  the  most  enchanting  of  her  sex.  Well 
do  you  know,  fear  never  could  move  me,  or  I  never  had 
entered  here ;  or,  having  once  entered  and  escaped,  would 
never  have  returned." 

Neither  by  word  nor  gesture  did  the  princess  interrupt 
him  while  he  spoke,  but  she  drew  a  deep,  long  breath 
when  he  had  finished,  as  though  her  patience  had  been 
sorely  tried,  and  again  burst  forth  in  stormy  wrath. 

"  Dog  of  a  Giaour  !  and  son  of  a  line  of  dogs  !  "  she 
screamed.  "Rightly  have  I  been  punished  for  stoop- 
ing to  defile  myself  with  the  society  and  presence  of  a 
wretched  Copt,  lowest,  meanest,  and  basest  of  the  mongrel 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  141 

spawn  of  Nile,  which  my  great  father  trampled  under  his 
victorious  foot,  and  used  as  men  use  other  rubbish,  to  aid 
in  building  the  empire  which  his  line  rule  to-day.  Was 
it  not  enough,  that  my  condescension  should  be  abused 
and  my  kindness  betrayed,  but  that  thou  shouldst  dare 
compare  to  my  disparagement,  thy  Infidel  paramour  from 
the  barbarous  lands  of  the  West,  here  to  my  very  face, 
and  in  my  own  palace  ?  Dearly  shall  that  insult  cost 
thee  !  I  am  a  woman,  it  is  true,  but  a  woman  of  the 
blood  of  Mehemet  Ali ;  and  never  did  man  or  woman  do 
him  wrong,  and  live  to  boast  it !  Never  again  will  thy 
pale-faced  mistress,  with  her  hair  of  withered  straw,  look 
on  that  girlish  face  of  thine,  or  kiss  those  dainty  lips. 
The  Nile,  from  which  thou  rescued  her  but  yesterday, 
shall  sport  with  thy  graceful  form,  and  be  thy  bed  to- 
night !  An  Infidel  like  thee,  whose  doom  must  be  the 
fall  from  the  Narrow  Bridge  of  Al  Sirat  into  perpetual 
fire,  needs  no  time  for  prayers,  as  a  Mussulman  might." 

She  paused  again,  exultant  malice  and  fiendish  hate 
stamped  upon  every  feature  of  the  face  which  seemed 
suddenly  to  have  sharpened  and  grown  old,  under  the 
fiery  heat  of  the  simoom  blast  of  passion  sweeping  over 
her  soul. 

Her  destined  victim  did  not  quail.  He  felt  his  peril, 
but,  like  a  brave  man,  braced  himself  to  meet  it  worthily, 
if  he  could  not  avert  it.  Yet  he  did  not  seem  utterly 
desperate,  and  as  his  eye  glanced  warily  round  the  room, 
it  rested  for  an  instant  on  the  open  casement,  and  he 
drew  nearer  the  princess,  who,  pacing  rapidly  up  and 
down  the  room  like  an  enraged  tigress,  had  now  paused 
near  the  window ;  and  through  it  now  softly  came  the 
first  fresh  breath  of  the  awakening  morn. 

"Khanum,"  said  Askaros,  "are  you  very  sure  your 


142  ASKAROS    A'ASSIS. 

spies  have  not  deceived  you  ?  that  the  things  they  have 
told  you  are  not  lies,  coined  out  of  their  own  false  hearts, 
to  win  gold  and  favor  frpm  you,  and  to  destroy  me, 
whom  they  hate  for  many  reasons  known  to  you  ? ' ' 

A  cruel  smile  convulsed  the  lips  of  Nezle'. 

"There  spoke  the  craft  of  the  Copt!"  she  snarled; 
"ever  more  resembling  woman  than  man,  and  striving 
to  escape  by  artifice  dangers  he  has  not  the  courage  to 
avert !  Know  then,  O  wise  youth  !  that  my  informants 
were  not  my  spies,  but  of  thine  own  household  —  ay, 
even  supposed  to  be  of  thine  own  base  blood  !  The  girl 
El  Warda,  whom  the  world  deems  thy  sister,  was  my 
informant !  She  came  to  me ' '  —  and  a  derisive  smile 
again  curled  the  cruel  lips  —  "to  pray  me  for  a  love- 
philter  to  win  back  thy  most  precious  affections,  stolen 
away  by  this  Ingleeze,  as  the  silly  child  believed.  I  gave 
the  philter  to  the  fool ;  but  I  repaid  myself  by  obtaining 
all  her  secrets,  and  thine  !  " 

This  revelation  fell  on  the  young  man  with  a  stunning 
shock.  For  the  first  time,  as  by  a  lightning-flash,  he 
saw  the  real  state  of  the  heart  of  his  reputed  sister.  Of 
this  he  had  never  dreamed. 

But  at  the  same  time  he  saw  how  the  danger  of  his 
position  was  aggravated ;  and  how  useless,  after  all  she 
had  heard  and  knew,  would  be  any  attempt  to  conciliate 
or  mystify  the  princess.  Rapidly  he  made  his  resolve, 
and  prepared  to  act. 

"Princess,"  he  said,  drawing  still  nearer,  until  he 
stood  close  beside  her,  "these  recriminations  and  ex- 
planations are  useless,  and  can  only  tend  to  make  us 
both  say  words  we  shall  regret  hereafter.  I  have  made 
confession  of  my  fault,  and  implored  thy  forgiveness. 
Give  it  to  me,  by  the  memory  of  our  past  love,  which 


ASKAROS   KASSIS,  143 

will  renew  itself,  warmer  and  fresher  after  this  short 
storm,  and  then  let  me  go,  for  the  day  already  begins  to 
dawn  in  the  East." 

''That  day  thou  shalt  never  behold!"  fiercely  an- 
swered the  princess.  "Slave!  dog!  Giaour!  thy  blood 
be  on  thine  own  head  !  An  hour 'hence,  and  thou  shalt 
feed  the  fishes  of  the  Nile,  and  thy  vile  name  and  viler 
treachery  be  washed  away  from  my  memory,  even  as  thy 
carcass  shall  be  washed  from  my  palace-door  by  those 
rapid  waters  ! ' ' 

And  she  pointed  to  the  window,  where  the  rushing 
tide,  swollen  and  turbid,  raced  past  in  its  sullen  flow. 

Swiftly  she  turned  away  from  the  window,  confronted 
the  Copt,  and  raised  her  two  hands,  as  if  to  clap  them 
together  to  summon  her  slaves.  But  rapid  as  was  her 
movement,  the  young  man's  was  more  rapid  still.  Ere 
she  could  bring  the  hands  together,  he  had  seized  her 
left  wrist  and  held  it,  as  in  an  iron  vice,  close  down  to 
her  side,  preventing  the  meditated  summons.  Her  next 
movement  was  as  sudden  as  his  had  been.  Her  right 
hand  flew  to  her  bosom,  and  a  small,  keen  poniard 
flashed  over  his  head,  aimed  full  at  his  heart,  ere  he  had 
time  to  suspect  or  avert  the  act.  Instinctively  he  threw 
up  his  left  arm  to  protect  his  heart.  Down  upon  that 
guard  the  sharp  steel  descended,  driven  with  the  whole 
strength  of  maniac  fury  —  rent  its  way  through  outer 
jacket  of  thick  cloth,  and  through  the  folds  of  shirt  and 
undershirt;  then,  grazing,  tore  open  the  fleshy  part  of 
the  muscular  forearm,  round  and  white  as  that  of  a 
woman. 

The  blood  spouted  from  the  wound,  as  hand  and 
dagger  dropped  to  the  side  of  the  baffled  murderess. 
Her  face  changed  from  rage  to  fear,  as  she  cowered 


144  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

before  the  roused  wrath  of  her  destined  victim  —  the 
feverish,  fitful  rage  of  woman  yielding  to  the  more  con- 
centrated wrath  of  man.  For  the  face  of  Askaros  had 
undergone  an  alteration  as  startling  as  that  in  her  own. 
The  devil  that  slumbers  in  the  depth  of  every  human 
heart  had  been  unchained  ;  and  the  magnetic  contagion 
of  evil  had  been  communicated  from  her  leprous  soul  to 
the  hitherto  generous  heart  of  the  young  man,  stained 
already  by  her  with  sin,  and  now  on  the  verge  of  being 
blackened  by  irremediable  crime  ! 

From  the  predestined  victim,  he  suddenly  rose  over  her 
as  the  doomsman  —  the  avenger.  And,  with  the  light- 
ning-like rapidity  with  which  thought  can  travel  in 
moments  of  immediate  peril  and  impending  death,  the 
long  catalogue  of  her  crimes  rose  like  accusing  angels 
before  the  mental  vision  of  the  wicked  woman,  whose 
life  had  been  a  long  defiance  to  the  laws  of  God  and 
man  —  a  warfare  against  humanity. 

For  in  the  set  and  rigid  face,  with  contracted  brow 
and  pitiless  eyes,  that  bent  above  her,  she  saw  no 
mercy  —  no  hope ;  and  in  his  right  hand  was  raised  the 
dagger  wrested  from  her,  ready  to  strike  the  moment  he 
apprehended  treachery  in  any  call,  or  gesture,  or  effort 
to  summon  aid. 

So  stood  these  two  beings,  whose  criminal  tie  had 
been  so  suddenly  and  so  violently  severed  —  lovers, 
lisping  endearment  to  each  other  in  softest  whispers  but 
a  moment  since  —  now  foes,  whom  the  death  of  one,  or 
both,  could  only  separate  to  all  human  seeming ;  one  a 
baffled  homicide  in  act,  the  other  a  predestined  murderer 
in  intention,  with  the  shadow  of  their  mutual  crime 
hanging  like  a  pall  over  both. 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  145 

Askaros  spoke  first,  though  the  silence,  seemingly  so 
long  to  both,  had  been  of  scarce  a  minute's  duration. 

' '  Is  the  dagger  poisoned  ? "  he  hissed  into  her  ear. 
' '  Is  this  wound  of  mine  mortal  ?  I  must  know,  for  two 
lives  depend  upon  the  truth." 

"It  is  not /"  she  sullenly  responded;  "though  I  wish 
it  were.  I  had  meant  my  stroke  to  be  too  sure  to  need 
poison,  else  had  I  supplied  it,  to  make  my  vengeance 
certain  ! ' ' 

"Will  you  swear  it?  Will  you  —  but,  folly!  What 
oaths  are  not  worthless  to  you?  What  in  earth,  or 
heaven,  do  you  hold  sacred  ?  Will  you  hold  out  your 
arm  and  let  me  scratch  it,  to  prove  the  truth  of  what  you 
say?" 

With  a  return  of  her  former  haughty  and  defiant  bear- 
ing, the  princess  silently  stretched  out  her  right  arm  for 
the  test;  a  slight,  scornful  contraction  of  her  mouth  in- 
dicating her  contempt  for  what  she  considered  the  Copt's 
cowardice.  But  the  movement  seemed  to  satisfy  him 
without  further  proof. 

"I  will  not  shed  one  drop  of  your  blood,"  he  said. 
"I  am  satisfied  there  is  now  no  other  poison  running  riot 
in  my  veins,  save  what  my  unholy  love  for  you  has  left 
there.  No ;  the  dagger  was  not  prepared  with  your  usual 
forethought.  Had  it  been  otherwise,  two  corpses  instead 
of  one  would  have  been  found  in  this  chamber;  which 
has  doubtless  heard  the  death-groan  of  many  men  better 
and  braver  than  I !  For  now  I  know  that  Cairene  gossip 
lied  not,  when  it  told  those  tales  of  Nezle  Khanum,  that 
I  disbelieved  until  now.  Princess,  farewell !  for  never 
will  we  look  upon  each  others'  faces  in  this  world 
again. ' ' 

"You  speak  confidently,"  replied  the  Khanum,  whose 
13  K 


146  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

audacity  rose  as  the  immediate  danger  receded;  "you 
seem  to  forget  that  egress  from  this  palace  is  not  so  easy 
without  my  permission.  As  well  might  a  lost  soul  cross 
the  bridge  of  Al  Sirat  over  the  fiery  gulf,  as  any  strange 
step  pass  in  safety  through  this  palace,  or  those  gardens, 
to  the  outer  world.  You  may  slay  its  mistress — a  daring 
act  for  a  brave  man,  opposed  by  an  unarmed  woman  !  — 
but  hence  you  cannot  and  you  shall  not  pass,  by  my  free 
will,  or  orders!  " 

"Trouble  not  yourself  for  my  safety,  O  charming 
hostess!"  answered  the  young  man,  calmly — cutting  a 
strip  of  linen  from  his  sleeve,  and  binding  his  bleeding 
arm  as  he  spoke:  "I  know  my  path,  and  need  no  pass- 
word from  you.  Nor  fear  I  any  peril  from  your  armed 
mercenaries,  to  travel  it — if  not  in  safety,  at  least  unmo- 
lested by  you,  or  yours.  Repent  your  past  life,  and  strive 
to  amend  it,  that  the  rude  lesson  I  had  to  give  you  may 
not  be  lost.  Neither  in  love,  nor  in  hate,  shall  you  look 
upon  the  face  of  Askaros  again — who  now  shakes  from 
his  feet  the  dust  of  this  palace  of  abominations,  and  bids 
it  and  you  farewell  forever ! ' ' 

As  he  ceased,  and  the  astonished  woman  stood  spell- 
bound and  bewildered  by  his  words  and  meaning,  he 
vaulted  lightly  on  the  framework  of  the  open  lattice, 
stood  for  a  second,  and  then  plunged  headlong  into  the 
raging  and  rushing  flood  that  howled  beneath ! 

Recovering  from  her  stupor  of  astonishment  at  the 
suddenness  of  his  disappearance,  the  princess  rushed  to 
the  window,  and  by  the  uncertain  light  of  the  early  dawn, 
peered  with  mingled  curiosity  and  anxiety  on  the  flood, 
into  which  the  daring  youth  had  so  rashly  precipitated 
himself.  She  strained  her  vision  to  discover  aught  beside 
the  turbid  surface  of  the  stream,  whose  current  swept 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  147 

down  rapidly,  with  a  hoarse  murmur,  some  few  floating 
pieces  of  drift-wood ;  but  she  did  not  see  anything  re- 
sembling a  human  head  or  a  human  form,  within  the 
range  of  her  vision. 

Wearied  by  the  useless  search,  and  chilled  by  the  raw 
morning  air,  with  a  shudder  she  turned  from  the  window 
and  closed  the  lattice,  as  though  to  shut  out  the  memory 
as  well  as  the  sight  of  what  was  passing  below.  A  soft- 
ened sentiment,  almost  of  pity,  blended  with  her  exulta- 
tion at  her  own  escape  from  peril,  and  the  destruction  of 
her  old  lover  and  new  foe,  who  had  thus  executed  her 
vengeance  on  himself,  and  spared  her  a  new  crime. 

"Poor  boy!"  she  muttered,  "he  was  very  young  to 
end  so  soon;  and  so  handsome,  too,"  she  added,  regret- 
fully, "while  the  men  seem  to  me  to  grow  uglier  and 
more  stupid  every  day.  Was  he  mad,  to  take  that  leap? 
No  living  lover  of  mine  took  it  before — though  many 
have  passed  through  it  without  their  knowledge  or  con- 
sent!" 

She  yawned  wearily ;  then,  after  a  moment,  added : 

"But  he  will  keep  my  secret  now,  that  is  a  consolation ; 
though  I  do  feel  a  foolish  softness  about  his  fate,  I  never 
felt  for  another's.  But  Allah  made  this  world  for  the 
living,  not  for  the  dead:  so  'tis  useless  to  think;  and, 
doubtless,  it  was  his  kismet  to  die.  Ingleeze  can  never 
steal  him  from  me  now !  But  I  shall  look  like  a  witch 
from  want  of  sleep;  so  now  for  a  pipe  of  hashish,  a 
good  sleep,  and  to  commence  a  new  experience  and  look 
for  a  new  lover  to-morrow ! ' ' 

Then  yawning  again,  and  wearily  stretching  her  grace- 
ful limbs,  the  Egyptian  princess  glided  to  her  own  private 
chamber,  to  forget  in  the  fumes  of  hashish  —  and  the 
death-like  slumber  it  would  summon — the  agitations  of 


148 


ASKAKOS    KASSIS. 


the  last  few  hours ;  to  forget  the  tragic  fate  of  the  youth 
she  had  first  tempted  and  seduced,  made  a  plaything  of, 
and  finally  hunted  to  his  doom. 

Let  us  drop  a  veil  over  the  waking  and  sleeping 
thoughts  of  that  incarnate  evil  in  woman's  form,  to  whom 
sin  was  a  solace,  and  crime  a  pastime — a  Circe,  who 
brutalized  the  souls  as  well  as  the  bodies  of  men,  yet 
who  died  peacefully  in  her  bed  at  last. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

NEW    LOVE   AT    OLD    LUXOR. 

EVENING  at  Luxor,  on  the  Upper  Nile :  the  rays 
of  the  setting  sun  gilding  and  softening  her  majestic 
ruins  with  a  glory  that  seemed  a  reflection  of  the  past, 
when  the  City  of  the  Hundred  Gates  was  without  peer  or 
rival  in  the  ancient  world  —  when,  through  those  long 
avenues,  guarded  by  their  grim  stone  sphinxes,  poured  the 
subjects  of  the  Great  Rameses,  many  of  whom  the  trav- 
eller sees  as  mummies  to-day. 

For,  amid  the  ruins  of  the  city  we  call  Thebes,  still 
enough  remains  to  excite  the  wonder  of  the  modern 
world ;  so  gigantic  is  the  scale  on  which  her  structures 
were  erected  —  so  colossal  the  fragments  which  even  the 
ruthless  hand  of  Time  has  failed  utterly  to  destroy. 

Standing  on  the  threshold  of  that  vast  temple,  which 
still  overlooks  the  eternal  Nile,  and  looking  across  the 
yellow  waters  of  the  Great  Father  of  Rivers  —  far  away 
we  see  towering  the  mighty  statues  of  Memnon  and  his 
tnate,  like  twin  giants  keeping  watch  and  ward  over  what 
is  left  of  Luxor  on  the  one  shore,  and  the  Memnonium 
on  the  other. 

Over  earth,  air,  and  sky — over  the  half-buried  relics 
of  the  ancient  city,  and  the  mud-huts  crouching  under 
13  *  H9 


ISO  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

the  columns  of  its  colossal  ruins  —  even  as  the  Egyptian 
of  to-day  is  dwarfed  by  comparison  with  his  predecessor, 
though  not  his  progenitor,  in  that  land  —  over  all  these 
brooded  a  solemn  silence. 

The  influence  of  the  scene  and  of  the  hour  was  strongly 
felt  by  a  party  of  tourists,  who  had  spent  the  day  ram- 
bling among  the  ruins  of  those  mighty  structures ;  and  who 
were  now  grouped  together  in  the  great  hall  of  the  temple, 
sitting  on  fragments  of  fallen  columns  and  the  shattered 
statues  of  colossal  kings  —  fallen  from  their  high  estate  in 
their  temple,  as  in  history. 

In  the  party  we  recognize  the  familiar  faces  of  our 
friends  of  the  Hotel  d'  Orient,  who  for  several  weeks 
have  been  making  the  usual  Nile  trip,  and  are  now  about 
to  retrace  their  steps.  They  have  almost  determined  to 
ascend  the  river  no  farther,  in  consequence  of  the  receipt 
of  letters  from  Europe  which  compel  the  speedy  return 
of  at  least  one  of  their  party.  A  passing  steamer,  bound 
for  the  First  Cataract,  had  that  morning  brought  these 
letters,  forwarded  from  their  Cairene  banker  ;  and  to  Sir 
Charles  especially  their  tidings  were  most  important. 
They  gave  him  news  of  the  sudden  death  of  his  elder 
brother,  who  had  been  killed  by  a  fall  from  his  horse 
while  hunting,  making  him  the  presumptive  heir  to  the 
family  title  and  estates. 

Miss  Primmins  had  been  profuse  of  expressions  of 
sympathy  and  tearful  condolence  when  the  news  was 
imparted  to  her ;  but  Sir  Charles,  with  characteristic 
frankness,  had  declined  to  wreathe  his  brow  with  weep- 
ing-willow. He  had  explained  the  matter  to  his  Ameri- 
can friends  with  his  usual  candor. 

"It  may,  perhaps,  seem  unfeeling  to  you,"  he  said, 
"  but  really  I  cannot  affect  any  great  grief  at  my  brother's 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  15  I 

death  ;  for  I  scarcely  knew  him.  A  poor  devil  of  a 
younger  son,  I  was  sent  out  to  India  as  a  cadet  when 
quite  a  boy,  and  have  never  set  eyes  on  him  since  —  our 
lines  in  life  and  all  our  associations  being  widely  apart. 
And  I  do  not  believe,  from  all  that  I  have  heard  of  him, 
that  he  was  a  very  lovable  person — never  married;  and, 
as  my  father  is  very  old  and  infirm,  I  may  expect  soon 
to  come  in  for  the  family  title  and  estates.  The  latter 
are  very  large  indeed  ;  and,  though  I  am  more  of  a 
Bedouin  than  of  a  country  gentleman,  still  my  birth  and 
descent  make  me  feel  I  am  fit  for  something  better  than 
nigger-killing  and  tiger-hunting.  So,  under  the  circum- 
stances, you  must  not  think  me  a  brute,  if  I  am  not  over- 
whelmed with  grief. ' ' 

''Brute'"  screamed  the  spinster  in  shrill  denial.  "The 
heir  to  a  coronet  and  twenty  thousand  a  year  —  a  brute  ! 
Noble  young  man  !  I  honor  your  fortitude  in  bearing 
this  blow  with  such  composure  !  " 

A  singular  smile  passed  over  the  Englishman's  face  as 
he  answered,  with  a  half-shrug : 

"  I  must  hurry  back  to  England  therefore,  for  my 
presence  will  be  essential  there  now.  But, ' '  he  added 
more  seriously,  and  with  a  slight  hesitation  in  his  usually 
blunt  manner,  ' '  but  I  can  sincerely  say  I  do  grieve  at 
leaving,  unfinished,  this  delightful  excursion,  and  at  losing 
the  society  of  friends  for  whom  I  entertain  so  warm  — 
a  regard  ! ' ' 

So  it  was  settled  Sir  Charles  was  to  leave  them  next 
day  —  taking  passage  for  Alexandria  on  the  steamer  that 
brought  the  letters  —  while  the  Americans  continued  their 
upward  voyage  in  their  dahabieh  as  far  as  Assouan  and 
Philse  —  perhaps  as  the  Second  Cataract  and  Nubia. 


152  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

SITTING  together  on  the  fallen  granite  statue  of  sqme 
great  Egyptian  king,  who  had  lived  and  loved  two 
thousand  years  before,  on  this  sunny  evening,  were  the 
Englishman  and  the  American  woman — so  oddly  thrown 
together  in  this  remote  corner  of  the  earth,  from  homes 
so  widely  separated. 

Sir  Charles  was  unusually  subdued  and  silent  —  even 
absent ;  his  usual  gay  insouciance  was  gone,  and  an  un- 
wonted seriousness,  amounting  even  to  sadness,  showed 
in  his  face  and  manner  —  and  even  in  the  inflections  of 
his  voice,  when  at  rare  intervals  he  made  brief  and  irrel- 
evant remarks.  At  length,  after  a  long  pause,  which 
seemed  equally  embarrassing  to  both,  and  which  both 
seemed  equally  desirous  and  powerless  to  interrupt,  he 
broke  the  awkward  silence. 

"  Miss  Van  Camp,."  he  said,  gravely,  "you  know  I 
leave  you  to-morrow,  and  the  chances  and  changes  of 
this  world  are  such  that  God  only  knows  when  we  shall 
meet  again." 

"Yes,"  answered  Edith,  softly;  "but  I  hope  we  may 
meet  again,  and  before  very  long." 

"  It  may  be  a  matter  of  indifference  to  you  —  it  doubt- 
less is  so!"  the  Englishman  went  on,  warming  as  he 
spoke.  "  But  before  I  go  I  must  tell  you  it  is  far  from 
being  such  to  me.  It  is  true  you  have  known  me  but  a 
little  while,  and  I  am  not  vain  enough  to  believe  you 
care  much  about  me  ;  but  it  will  be  a  source  of  more 
than  pleasure  —  of  infinite  joy  —  to  me,  to  hear  from  your 
own  lips  that  I  am  more  than  a  mere  stranger  ! ' ' 

He  refused  to  notice,  if  he  even  saw,  the  sharp,  quick 
start  she  gave,  and  sudden  gesture  of  her  hand,  raised  as 
if  in  warning,  and  continued:  "Tell  me  I  am  more 
than  a  passing  acquaintance,  and  that  I  may  be  allowed 


A  SKA  R  OS   KASSIS.  I$3 

to  return  and  perfect  a  friendship  which,  to  me  at  least, 
has  been  so  delicious  a  privilege  ! ' ' 

A  glowing  blush  overspread  the  fair  face  of  the  girl, 
more  at  the  tone  in  which  this  speech  was  made  than  at 
the  simple  words  themselves.  She  fixed  her  eyes  steadily 
upon  the  ground,  and,  after  an  apparent  struggle  with 
her  voice,  spoke  with  much  hesitation  : 

"I  assure  you,  Sir  Charles,  that  I  —  that  we  all  shall 
miss  you  very  much.  I  do  not  look  upon  you  as  a 
casual  acquaintance  at  all,  and  nothing  would  give  us 
greater  pleasure  than  to  continue  the  intimacy  I — we 
formed  in  our  wanderings  together." 

He  made  no  immediate  answer,  and  another  pause, 
longer  than  the  first,  ensued.  Edith  seemed  to  be  exam- 
ining with  great  minuteness  the  rubbish  strewn  around 
her  feet,  the  toe  of  her  tiny  boot  turning  over  the  peb- 
bles ;  while  her  companion,  his  eyes  fixed  full  upon  the 
stony  orbs  of  the  giant  king  opposite,  sunk  into  a  deep, 
motionless  revery. 

And  the  voiceless  spirit  of  the  dead  past  seemed  to 
brood  over  its  shattered  temple,  and  sink  down  upon 
those  intruders  of  to-day  in  an  enveloping  and  almost 
palpable  hush.  Suddenly,  sharp  and  clear,  cut  through 
the  heavy  stillness  the  man's  voice ;  and  this  time  he 
spoke  as  if  he  had  made  up  his  mind  and  knew  precisely 
what  he  meant  to  say. 

"I  doubt  not  that  both  you  and  your  friends,"  he 
said,  "have  looked  upon  me  as  a  careless,  reckless, 
eccentric  creature,  without  feeling  or  sentiment ;  without 
even  much  depth  of  character.  You  were  but  just  in  so 
judging,  for  such  was  the  impression  I  sought  to  convey. 
Am  I  right  in  my  belief?" 

Edith  still  examined   the  pebbles   at  her  feet,    and, 


154  ASKAROS    K AS  SIS. 

without  lifting  her  eyes,  murmured  some  reply,  almost 
inaudible,  but  seeming  to  imply  dissent. 

"My  position  and  prospects  as  a  younger  son,"  the 
other  resumed,  steadily,  "with  only  my  commission  and 
career  in  the  Indian  service,  were  not  such  as  to  justify 
me  in  forming  any  plans  for  the  future.  I  therefore 
sought  only  to  live  in  the  present.  But  my  philosophy 
was  not  strong  enough  to  protect  me  against  myself! 
For  some  time  past  I  have  thought  only  and  always  of 
another.  Need  I  tell  you  that  that  other  is  yourself?" 

Still  the  girl  responded  not  a  word,  nor  looked  up 
from  the  ground,  though  the  flush  on  her  face  grew 
deeper,  and  the  small  foot  nervously  tapped  the  sand, 
still  faster  than  before.  The  Englishman  rose  from  the 
stone  at  her  side,  and  stood  before  her  with  a  mien  of 
mingled  dignity  and  dread,  while  his  voice  was  still 
steady,  but  with  a  thrill  of  longing,  yearning  entreaty  in 
it,  as  he  asked : 

' '  Does  my  avowal  offend  you  ?  Are  you  wounded 
that  he  you  deemed  an  idle  jester,  to  whom  you  gave 
no  encouragement  to  justify  his  speaking  thus,  should 
dare  declare  that  he  admires  you  —  that  he  loves  you  ? ' ' 

Once  more  the  quick,  sharp  thrill  passed  through  the 
frame  of  the  young  girl ;  the  flush  upon  her  cheek  deep- 
ened to  a  crimson  flood  that  swept  over  brow,  neck, 
and  bosom ;  the  little  foot  ceased  its  beat  upon  the  sand, 
and  once  more  she  raised  her  hand  with  a  warning  — 
almost  imploring  —  gesture. 

But  the  man  saw  it  not;  for  the  mighty  torrent  of  his 
pent-up  passion  had  broken  the  barriers  of  habit,  of  con- 
vention, and  of  race,  and  now  swept  him  on  like  the 
flood  of  the  mighty  river  near,  when  its  rushing  tide  sends 
it  downward  with  resistless  rush  toward  the  sea. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  155 

"Yes,  who  loves  you!"  he  cried;  "loves  you  with 
the  wild  passion  of  a  heart  that  never  loved  before !  with 
the  deep,  strong  passion  of  a  man  who  is  no  trifler ; 
whose  very  soul  feels,  a  thousand  times  more  than  words 
can  tell,  those  nameless  charms  of  person,  mind,  and 
heart,  that  have  linked  his  every  thought  to  you  forever ! 
I  have  seen,  though  I  cannot  tell,  how  pure,  how  good, 
how  beautiful  you  are !  I  have  seen  your  thousand 
priceless  gifts  of  mind  and  heart,  and  have  been  mad 
enough,  selfish  enough,  to  dream  of  securing  all  these 
for  myself!  Oh,  Edith,  will  you  share  the  title  and  the 
rank  soon  to  be  mine? — worthless  without  you — whose 
possession  alone  permits  me  to  reveal  the  secret  I  else 
had  carried  to  my  grave  —  the  secret  of  my  deep,  de- 
voted love  for  you ! "  And,  throwing  himself  once 
more  by  the  young  girl's  side,  he  sought  to  seize  her 
hand  and  press  it  in  his  own. 

Edith  withdrew  her  hand,  but  very  gently,  from  the 
ardent  clasp  of  her  lover's,  and,  for  the  first  time,  looked 
up.  The  hot  flush  had  given  place  to  deadly  paleness, 
the  eyes  were  suffused  with  tears,  and  she  showed  painful 
agitation  in  her  face  and  manner,  as  well  as  the  broken 
voice  in  which  she  answered  : 

"This  is  so  unexpected,  so  agitating,  I  really  know 
not  how  to  answer  without  wounding  you,  for  I  never 
dreamt  that  you  cherished  such  feelings  for  me,  and  I 
have  never  once  thought  of  the  subject  you  speak  of  so 
seriously.  Oh,  Sir  Charles!  let  us  still  be  friends"  — 
he  made  a  quick,  impatient  gesture  at  the  word  —  "  for, 
indeed,  I  do  not  look  on  you  as  a  stranger.  I  esteem 
you,  and  —  and  admire  you  more  than  any  man  I  ever 
met  before.  I  mean,"  she  added,  blushing  brightly  at 
her  own  words,  "of  course,  as  a  friend." 


156  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

Once  more  he  made  the  impatient  gesture  of  denial, 
and  again  he  rose  and  stood  before  her. 

"We  can  never  \>z  friends /"  he  said,  quietly. 

"We  shall  meet  again  in  Europe,"  she  said,  more  in 
continuation  than  in  answer,  "and  shall,  perhaps,  even 
make  another  tour  together.  Then,  after  knowing  each 
other  longer  —  after  studying  each  other's  characters 
better — we  might  determine  if — if — whether  we  are 
really  suited  to  each  other.  For  you  know,"  she  added, 
hastily,  to  cover  her  confusion,  "our  educations  and  as- 
sociations have  all  been  so  different!  " 

The  light  faded  from  the  eyes  of  the  young  man,  and 
the  glow  of  passion  passed  from  his  cheek,  as  the  girl 
spoke  thus  in  an  almost  pleading  tone,  and  he  answered 
sadly: 

"I  understand  you  now.  You  seek  to  spare  me  the 
bitterness  of  a  direct  refusal,  which  your  kind  heart 
would  be  pained  to  give.  My  folly  in  supposing  I  could 
win  a  virgin  heart  like  yours,  without  proving  myself 
worthy  of  it,  is  rightly  punished.  This  is  your  mean- 
ing?" 

She  made  a  faint  gesture  of  dissent,  but  he  caught  it, 
and  the  embers  of  hope,  almost  dying  in  his  heart,  glowed 
under  it  into  a  fresh  blaze. 

"You  will  give  me  at  least  some  hope?  Oh,  Edith, 
tell  me,  if  you  do  not  love  me,  that  at  least  you  love  no 
other !  For  I  confess  I  had  my  doubts,  and  that  is  one 
reason  I  have  hastened  this  precipitate  avowal." 

"Your  question  is  an  unfair,  and  might  be  an  indelicate 
one,"  the  girl  replied  promptly,  and  with  some  spirit; 
"but  I  do  not  hesitate  to  tell  you  that  such  is  not  the 
case.  I  do  not  hesitate  to  accept  your  affection  because 
of  a  warmer  feeling  for  any  one  else,  nor  can  I  explain 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  157 

the  sentiments  I  really  feel  for  you.  For  until  the  last 
few  moments,  I  have  never  asked  my  own  heart  the  ques- 
tion, and  now  I  feel  too  bewildered  even  to  think." 
Then  she  blushed  brightly,  and  cast  down  the  candid 
eyes,  until  now  bent  upon  him,  as  she  added  softly: 
"But  tell  me  whom  you  thought  your  rival." 

Sir  Charles  hesitated  but  a  moment,  ere  he  answered : 

"Your  candor  merits  the  truth  from  me.  When  the 
caique  overturned  you  into  the  Nile,  for  the  first  time  my 
own  heart  stood  revealed  to  me  in  my  agony  at  your 
danger,  and,  I  must  add,  my  jealousy  of  your  rescuer. 
That  young  Egyptian  has  much  in  his  favor  to  win  a 
maiden's  heart  —  rare  personal  beauty,  courage,  honor, 
and  high  intelligence.  He  has,  besides,  the  romance  of 
his  life  and  habits,  and  I  feared  your  fancy  might  have 
been  captivated  by  these;  but,  above  all,  he  has  twice 
saved  your  life  at  the  risk  of  his  own  !  Hence  I  was,  and 
am,  jealous  of  the  Egyptian  —  not  for  my  own  sake,  but 
because  I  do  not  believe  so  incongruous  an  alliance  would 
insure  your  happiness." 

The  shifting  color  of  Edith  betrayed  some  emotion 
while  Sir  Charles  said  these  words,  but  she  soon  recovered 
herself,  and  when  she  answered,  there  was  no  tremor  in 
her  voice,  her  clear  blue  eyes  sought  his  fearlessly,  and 
spoke  the  soul  of  truth,  but  on  her  lip  there  was  a  curl 
of  scorn. 

"Sir  Charles,"  she  said,  calmly,  "you  may  dismiss 
your  fears  for  me,  and  your  jealousy  on  your  own  ac- 
count ;  for  Askaros  is  not,  and  can  never  be  a  rival  of 
yours  with  me,  and  that  he  knows,  I  am  quite  sure,  as 
well  as  I.  That  my  girlish  fancy  was  taken  captive  for  a 
time  by  the  graces  of  this  young  Haroun  el  Reschid  may 
be  true ;  that  my  heart  or  my  judgment  have  ever  been 


158  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

influenced  by  him,  is  not  so.  I  owe  him  a  debt  of  grati- 
tude ;  but  I  have  never  dreamt  of  paying  him  such  a 
price  for  it  as  to  unite  my  destiny  with  that  of  one  of 
different  race  — to  renounce  my  country  for  a  barbarous 
land  like  this.  Believe  me,  an  American  girl,  however 
young,  has  too  much  common  sense  to  turn  her  dreams 
into  realities." 

It  was  strange  to  see  how  the  role  of  the  two  speakers 
was  reversed  as  the  interview  proceeded ;  how  the  strong, 
intrepid,  reckless  man  became  more  confused,  and  the 
timid,  gentle  girl  calmer  and  more  self-possessed.  For 
Sir  Charles  answered  her  almost  indignantly: 

"Oh,  Edith,  you  are  calm  and  cold  as  a  marble 
statue  !  It  almost  maddens  me  to  hear  words  of  caution 
from  your  lips  !  What  has  caution  to  do  with  love  — 
with  affection  ?  which  converts  even  me  —  the  worthless 
idler  —  into  the  earnest  man  whose  whole  happiness  or 
misery  hangs  upon  your  lips !  God  never  gave  you 
beauty,  and  soul,  and  tenderness,  to  be  wasted  on  the 
barren  pursuits  of  fashionable  life  !  to  wither  and  fade 
without  ripening  into  affection  for  some  congenial  heart ! 
Trust  yourself  to  me.  Let  mine  be  the  task  to  warm 
into  life  those  softer  feelings  that  change  the  girl  into  the 
woman.  For  truly  has  a  woman  said,  'We  pass  not  over 
the  threshold  of  childhood  until  led  by  love.'  Let  mine 
be  the  hand  to  lead  you  over  that  threshold ;  and  my  life 
shall  be  one  long  effort  to  secure  your  pleasure  and  your 
happiness. ' ' 

He  paused  for  a  moment,  but  the  girl  only  looked 
fixedly  upon  the  ground,  and  his  lips  trembled  with  the 
strong  passion  that  rent  and  mastered  him,  as  he  re- 
sumed : 

"I  can  offer  you  now  rank,  wealth,  high  social  posi- 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  159 

tion.  These,  others  can  offer  you,  too;  but  I  can  give 
you,  besides,  the  devotion  of  a  heart  that  has  never 
throbbed  for  woman  before.  In  you  I  see  the  fulfil- 
ment of  my  boyhood's  dream,  my  manhood's  search — a 
perfect  woman  !  Oh,  Edith  !  send  me  not  back  into  the 
dreary  desert  of  indifference,  whence  you  rescued  me ; 
reject  not  a  love  such  as  is  seldom  laid  at  woman's  feet 
twice  in  a  life !  Do  not  give  me  your  answer  now.  Re- 
flect upon  it;  look  well  into  your  heart,  and  see  if  the 
electric  thrill  of  mine  has  not  reached  it.  And  then,  at 
least,  give  me  hope !  tell  me  that  I  am  not  quite  indiffer- 
ent to  you !  that  my  devotion  may  yet  win  you  to  be  my 
bride  —  the  mistress  of  my  destiny  ! ' ' 

Speaking  thus,  he  stooped  down  and  pressed  his  lips 
upon  the  passive  hand  of  the  young  girl,  who  sat  still  and 
mute,  as  though  overwhelmed  by  the  rushing  torrent  of 
his  passion. 

Then,  rising,  he  strode  rapidly  away. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

A  NEW  FRIEND  WITH  AN  OLD  FACE. 

EDITH  did  not  offer  to  detain  her  lover  by  word, 
look,  or  gesture.  She  remained  sitting  at  the  foot 
of  one  of  the  huge  and  ancient  kings,  with  statue-like 
immobility ;  the  shifting  color  in  her  cheek,  and  the  un- 
equal heaving  of  her  bosom,  alone  showing  that  she  pos- 
sessed more  life  or  motion  than  they.  Towering  up  to 
the  height  of  sixty  feet,  those  massive  monarchs  of  the 
past  sat  upon  great  thrones  hewn  from  the  immemorial 
rock,  ranged  at  equal  distances  around  the  hall. 

The  contrast  between  the  fair,  fresh  beauty  of  the  young 
girl  —  as  she  sat  there  with  the  framework  of  ruins  behind 
her,  the  grotesque  sculpture  of  Egyptian  antiquity  upon 
the  walls,  where  were  mingled  ox-headed  and  ape-headed 
human  figures  with  other  fantastic  devices  of  that  dead 
time,  and  the  passionless  faces  of  the  stone  Colossi  gaz- 
ing down  upon  her — was  very  striking.  It  looked,  as  it 
was,  a  reunion  of  the  present  with  the  past  —  the  new 
with  the  old  —  the  living  with  the  dead  —  the  connecting 
link  which,  in  all  ages  and  forever,  must  bind  all  human- 
ity and  its  works  in  the  great  chain  of  creation,  which 
stretches  to  earth  from  God. 

Left  thus  entirely  alone  —  for  the  others  were  now  ex- 

160 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  l6l 

ploring  a  distant  chamber  of  the  ruin  —  the  young  girl 
leaned  her  head  upon  her  hand,  striving  to  collect  her 
wandering  thoughts  and  analyze  her  feelings.  The  task 
was  a  more  difficult  one  than  she  had  imagined,  for  the 
thoughts  were  rebellious,  and  in  her  mind  and  heart  a 
confused  chaos  of  feelings  and  fancies  struggled  for  the 
mastery. 

Was  she  indifferent  to  Sir  Charles?  or  did  she  love 
him  enough  to  accept  his  offer  ? 

She  could  not  answer  even  to  herself,  so  suddenly  had 
the  question  been  presented  to  her  decision. 

In  the  ordinary  course  of  social  life,  seeing  so  much  of 
a  young  man,  and  being  thrown  so  much  into  his  society 
—  even  without  coquetry,  or  her  vulgar  sister,  flirtation  — 
the  idea  might  have  suggested  itself  to  her.  But  in  this 
Eastern  tour,  with  its  strange  phases  of  daily  life,  seem- 
ing more  like  dreams  than  realities,  she  had  forgotten 
the  usual  formalities  of  intercourse,  and  restraints  of 
society.  She  had  accepted  the  constant  society  and  in- 
tercourse of  Sir  Charles,  almost  as  she  had  that  of  her 
brother,  forgetting  for  the  time  that  he  was  a  stranger, 
and  she  an  attractive  young  girl. 

She  knew  she  liked  and  admired  him,  as  she  had  so 
frankly  avowed  to  him,  more  than  any  man  she  had 
ever  met ;  but  was  this  love  ?  Did  she  really  love  him  ? 
She  was  unable  to  solve  the  question  to  her  own  satisfac- 
tion ;  and  she  recalled  with  a  strange  thrill  the  sensa- 
tions she  had  experienced  in  her  intercourse  with  the 
young  Egyptian  —  at  first  sight  —  during  his  wild  avowal 
of  his  burning  passion  —  after  her  rescue  from  the  river. 
And  this,  she  confessed  to  herself,  had  been,  for  the 
moment,  a  much  warmer  and  more  engrossing  feeling 
than  she  now  experienced  for  Sir  Charles ;  though  he 
14*  L 


l62  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

was  certainly  more  congenial  to  her  in  thought  and  feel- 
ing than  his  unacknowledged  rival. 

She  had  scornfully  repudiated  the  idea  that  Askaros 
could  ever  be  anything  to  her ;  but  at  that  moment  her 
heart  belied  her  lips,  and  she  clenched  her  small  hand 
and  stamped  her  foot  impatiently,  in  sudden  anger  at  the 
consciousness.  Was  he  not,  as  she  had  said,  alien  to  her 
in  every  particular  of  birth,  blood,  breeding,  and  associa- 
tion ?  Was  he  not  —  although  as  a  Copt  he  boasted  his 
descent  from  the  old  Egyptians,  to  whom  her  race  was 
but  a  thing  of  yesterday  —  was  he  not  the  countryman 
of  those  squalid  and  ignorant  natives  she  saw  around  her, 
scarcely  elevated  above  the  brute  creation  in  comfort, 
condition,  or  culture  ?  What  was  this  boasted  descent, 
then,  from  the  mighty  people  of  that  past  which  be- 
queathed to  the  world  its  poetry,  its  science,  its  prophecy 
—  even  the  forms  of  its  religion? 

Impatient  at  her  own  thoughts,  and  tired  of  the  con- 
flict in  her  own  heart,  she  raised  her  eyes  and  fixed  them, 
to  distract  her  thoughts,  upon  one  of  the  colossal  sculp- 
tured kings,  which  had  sat  immovable  in  his  niche  for 
thousands  of  years  —  the  giant  hands  resting  on  the 
massive  knees,  and  passionless  and  godlike  calm  stamped 
upon  the  still  features  of  the  grand,  beardless  face. 

Was  she  haunted  by  one  thought?  For  as  she  looked, 
she  seemed  to  trace  in  the  features  of  the  granite  giant  a 
shadowy  resemblance  to  those  of  the  young  £opt  of  whom 
she  had  been  thinking ;  and  the  more  closely  she  scruti- 
nized, the  stronger  the  likeness  grew. 

She  rose  impatiently  to  seek  her  companions,  half 
terrified  by  the  strange  coincidence — still  distrusting  her 
own  senses. 

"This  is  indeed  the  land  of  marvels  and  of  mystery," 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  163 

she  said,  aloud.  "Will  I  ever  be  able  to  get  back  to 
real  life  and  common  sense  again  ? ' ' 

That  night  Edith  confided  to  her  father  the  offer  of 
the  Englishman,  as  well  as  the  uncertain  state  of  her  own 
feelings.  She  admitted  that  she  did  not  feel  inclined 
either  definitely  to  accept,  or  to  reject  him  ;  but  made  no 
allusion  to  her  strange  fancies  concerning  the  Egyptian. 

Mr.  Van  Camp,  who  was  devoted  to  his  daughter,  and 
would  have  been  pleased  at  no  offer  which  could  possibly 
take  her  from  him,  was  thoughtful  enough  of  her  welfare 
to  see  how  advantageous  such  an  alliance  would  be  in  all 
respects  ;  and,  besides,  he  entertained  the  highest  respect 
and  regard  for  the  Englishman  personally,  irrespective 
of  his  newly  acquired  wealth  and  title. 

He  proposed  calling  Miss  Primmins  into  consultation : 
"For,"  he  said,  "  although  Priscilla  is  very  eccentric  in 
some  respects,  still  she  is  a  strong-minded  woman  in 
worldly  matters,  and  has  a  vast  deal  of  common  sense 
and  shrewd  observation.  And,  my  dear,  you  know  mar- 
riage is  a  serious  thing,  and  not  to  be  contracted  with- 
out proper  prudence  and  reflection.  Let  us  consult  your 
aunt,  therefore,  and  see  what  her  opinion  is." 

Edith  consented,  although  not  exactly  considering  the 
spinster  the  proper  arbiter  of  affairs  of  the  heart.  When 
the  matter  was  unfolded  to  the  chaste  Priscilla,  the  sur- 
prise of  that  ancient  maiden  was  only  equalled  by  her 
delight. 

"  Who  would  have  expected  it !  "  she  exclaimed,  with 
a  look  of  beaming  approval  cast  upon  her  niece.  "What 
a  sly  little  puss  you  are  !  and  what  a  knowing  fellow  Sir 
Charles  is  !  Where  could  my  eyes  have  been  ?  Ah  ! 
you  artful  little  minx,  to  keep  so  demure,  and  pretend  to 
be  so  unconscious  !  just  as  if  any  woman  can  have  love 


164  ASA'AXOS    KASSJS. 

made  to  her  a  month  without  finding  it  out !  Thank 
heaven  !  /never  was  bothered  that  way.  The  men  knew 
better  than  to  talk  nonsense  to  me .'  But  it  suits  Edith 
very  well.  And,  of  course,  you  accepted  him,  my  dear; 
and  I  will  soon  call  you  Lady  Aylmer.  It  sounds  very 
nice,  don't  it?  —  'Lady  Aylmer's  carriage  stops  the 
way  ! ' 

"  I  think  now  I  can  see  you  coming  from  the  Queen's 
reception-room,  for  you  will  go  into  the  best  society  in 
London.  You  must  make  Lord  Charles  get  a  foreign 
embassy.  It  gives  one  the  entree  into  the  best  circles 
abroad,  and  he  can  get  a  secretary  who  can  do  all  the 
diplomacy,  except  the  dining-out  and  reception  business. 
When  is  it  to  be  ?  Very  soon,  of  course  ;  and  I  suppose 
we  shall  have  to  hurry  back  to  Europe  now.  And 
goodness  knows  /  am  sick  enough  of  fleas,  and  bugs, 
and  beetles,  and  crocodiles,  and  broken-nosed  statues, 
and  mummies,  and  undressed  men  !  I  shall  be  glad 
enough  to  breathe  pure  air,  and  sleep  in  clean  sheets 
again  ! ' ' 

Here  the  spinster  paused,  from  sheer  want  of  breath, 
allowing  Edith  to  say  : 

' '  But,  aunt,  you  run  on  too  fast.  I  have  not  even 
accepted  him  yet." 

Miss  Priscilla's  lower  jaw  dropped,  in  her  astonish- 
ment—  her  eye  glazed  —  she  gasped  for  breath. 

' '  Not  accepted  him  !  A  real  lord  !  with  heaven  knows 
how  many  thousands  a-year,  and  a  house  in  London 
and  another  in  the  country  !  A  member  of  Parliament, 
too  ;  and  as  fine  a  young  man,  besides,  as  could  be  found 
even  in  Boston !  Is  the  girl  mad  ?  Brother,  what 
does  this  mean  ?  Surely  you  will  not  encourage  such 
folly!" 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  165 

"But,  aunt,  I  am  not  sure  I  love  him  enough  to  ac- 
cept him." 

"  Love  him  ! — fiddlesticks  !  "  retorted  the  exasperated 
Primmins.  "Who  expected  you  would,  or  ought  to, 
before  he  asked  you  ?  The  very  idea  is  highly  indelicate 
and  immodest !  But  now  that  he  has  proposed  to  you, 
you  have  a  right  to  esteem  him ;  and  in  time,  I  do  not 
doubt,  you  will  learn  to  do  your  duty  as  a  wife  —  love, 
honor,  and  obey  him  —  after  you  have  made  that  promise 
at  the  altar.  I  hope  those  silly  romances  you  are  so 
fond  of  reading  have  not  turned  your  head,  and  made 
you  believe  you  are  going  to  find  knights  and  heroes  in 
real  life,  and  devoted  love,  and  all  that  sort  of  stuff;  or 
we  may  expect,  some  day,  to  see  you  running  away  with 
that  good-looking  Egyptian,  living  in  a  stone  barrack 
without  furniture,  being  bitten  by  snakes,  and  drowned 
in  a  river,  in  this  horrible  country  ! ' ' 

This  unforeseen  echo  to  her  own  thoughts  did  more  to 
convince  the  girl  of  the  folly  of  her  fancies  than  greater 
eloquence  could  possibly  have  done.  Her  native  com- 
mon sense  came  to  the  aid  of  regard  for  the  Englishman, 
and  her  wavering  will  was  decided. 

After  much  more  conversation  it  was  decided  that, 
when  Sir  Charles  renewed  his  suit  the  next  morning  —  as 
he  certainly  would  do  —  he  should  be  referred  to  her 
father,  who  would  consent  to  a  provisional  engagement 
for  the  term  of  one  year,  that  they  might  better  study 
each  other's  characters  and  dispositions  before  entering 
into  an  irrevocable  bond.  Kissing  his  daughter  fer- 
vently, and  giving  her  his  blessing,  Mr.  Van  Camp  dis- 
missed her  to  the  most  restless  and  uneasy  slumbers  her 
unclouded  life  had  ever  known. 

Next  day,  Sir  Charles  renewed  his  proposals,  accepted 


1 66  ASKAROS    A' ASS  IS. 

gladly  the  terms  imposed,  and  took  his  leave  of  the 
party,  whom  he  was  to  rejoin  in  a  month's  time  at 
Venice,  a  proud  and  happy  man.  But  he  left  Edith 
scarcely  knowing  whether  she  felt  most  happy  or  miser- 
able ;  but,  on  the  whole,  rather  dazzled  by  the  bright 
visions  of  the  future,  which  her  lover  painted  for  her  in 
vivid  language,  and  with  an  ardor  not  to  be  mistaken. 

Let  us  now  accompany  the  successful  suitor  down  the 
Nile,  and,  leaving  him  at  Cairo,  see  how  it  .has  fared 
with  his  less  favored  rival  in  the  interval. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

THE   COPT    AND   THE   HEBREW. 

THE  day  succeeding  the  disappearance  of  the  younger 
Askaros — whose  absence  did  not  alarm  the  house- 
hold, as  it  was  his  habit  occasionally  to  absent  himself 
for  short  periods  —  was  marked  by  another  menace  of 
danger  to  his  family. 

His  father  received  a  formal  summons  to  attend  the 
Grand  Council  within  ten  days'  time,  to  undergo  a  formal 
examination  of  his  accounts  as  Khasnadar  under  Mehemet 
Ali;  a  summons  which  he  knew  boded  him  no  good, 
that  council  being  composed  of  the  creatures  of  Abbas, 
and  only  the  instrument  of  his  oppressions  and  confisca- 
tions under  form  of  law.  The  old  man,  conscious  as  he 
was  of  his  own  rectitude,  was  greatly  troubled  in  mind, 
and  apprehensive  of  danger;  and  he  regretted  the  ab- 
sence of  his  son,  whose  counsel  he  needed,  and  on  whom 
he  depended  in  all  matters  of  doubt  and  trouble. 

Feverishly  impatient,  he  could  not  remain  in  his  house, 
and  went  forth  to  visit  the  young  Syrian,  on  whose  testi- 
mony, together  with  the  duplicate  vouchers  and  receipts, 
which,  as  Wakeel,  he  had.made  out  and  retained  in  his 
possession,  he  relied  to  acquit  him. 

The  visit  was  not  a  reassuring  one :  for  Daoud,  while 

167 


168  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

expressing  the  greatest  devotion  and  readiness  to  serve 
his  patron,  increased  his  apprehensions  by  the  evident 
anxiety  he  manifested,  and  the  seriousness  with  which  he 
treated  the  subject;  both  plainly  intimating  his  belief 
that  it  was  a  plot  to  despoil  the  old  man  of  the  great 
wealth  he  was  supposed  to  have  accumulated.  It,  more- 
over, led  him  on  to  talk,  with  the  garrulity  of  age,  of 
the  investments  he  had  recently  made,  and  the  precau- 
tions he  had  taken  to  place  large  sums  out  of  the  reach 
of  the  rapacious  Viceroy ;  and  to  his  chagrin  Daoud  dis- 
covered that  very  considerable  sums — in  fact  sufficient 
for  a  competence  for  his  son  —  had  been  placed  in  the 
English  funds,  in  anticipation  of  the  attempt  to  plunder 
him,  which  he  had  dreaded  ever  since  the  accession  of 
Abbas. 

The  Syrian  made  a  note  in  his  mind  of  these  invest- 
ments, however,  which,  in  event  of  the  death  of  both 
father  and  son,  would  fall  to  El  Warda — the  old  man  in- 
forming him  that  such  were  the  provisions  of  his  will : 
so  cupidity  came  to  the  aid  of  hate  and  jealousy  in  the 
heart  of  the  traitor. 

From  the  Syrian's  dwelling  the  old  man  passed  down 
through  the  Mooskie,  where  the  shops  of  the  foreigners 
were  situated,  across  the  Turkish  quarter,  and  ambled 
easily  on  his  donkey  down  into  a  neighborhood  where 
the  streets  were  narrower  still,  the  houses  more  mean  and 
squalid,  and  the  filth  and  garbage  more  offensive  to  sight 
and  other  senses. 

It  was  the  Jewish  quarter  into  which  he  had  penetrated ; 
each  nationality  at  Cairo  having  its  own  distinct  district, 
closed  with  a  gate  at  night,  and  under  its  own  sheik  el 
belled,  or  prefect,  responsible  for  its  quiet  and  good  con- 


ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS.  169 

duct ;  an  office  of  great  responsibility  and  power,  as  well 
as  of  great  plunder. 

Pausing  before  one  of  the  largest  of  the  dismantled- 
looking  stone  houses  of  this  quarter — the  entrance  and 
courtyard  of  which  indicated  squalid  poverty  on  the  part 
of  its  owner,  as  did  the  dilapidated  door  and  external  ap- 
pearance of  the  building — the  old  man  dismounted  from 
his  donkey,  put  the  bridle  behind  the  saddle,  and  left  the 
beast,  who  arched  his  neck,  stretched  out  his  legs,  as  if 
to  take  firmer  position,  and  then  stood  still  as  a  statue. 

Passing  up  the  steps,  a  dirty  dismal  interior,  composed 
of  long  low  galleries  with  an  infinite  number  of  unfur- 
nished rooms,  presented  itself;  and  the  old  man,  clam- 
bering up  another  narrower  flight  of  steps,  like  one  who 
knew  the  way,  traversed  a  long  low  gallery,  and  reached 
a  strong  wooden  door  studded  with  iron  nails.  Upon  this 
he  knocked  thrice  with  his  staff  in  a  peculiar  manner. 
The  door  opened,  and  a  withered  old  woman,  dirty  and 
ragged,  appeared  and  answered  to  his  inquiry  in  a  shrill, 
cracked  voice. 

" Mooshfoke!" — (He  is  not  at  home.) 

"He  will  be  at  home  to  me,"  responded  the  old  man. 
"Tell  him  Askaros  the  Khasnadar  has  come  to  see  his 
old  friend  Ben  Moussa,  the  Israelite.  He  will  be  at 
home  to  me." 

The  old  crone  muttered  between  her  teeth,  "Moosh 
Yahudi  /"  (He  is  no  Jew)  glanced  suspiciously  at  him, 
slammed  the  door  in  his  face,  and  hobbled  off.  The  old 
man  laughed  quietly  in  his  white  beard,  but  remained 
standing,  as  if  he  were  sure  of  the  return  of  the  ancient 
and  uncourteous  handmaiden. 

"Cautious  as  ever,"  he  muttered  to  himself.  "Well, 
I  suppose  there  is  cause.  All  hunted  animals  learn  suspi- 


I/O  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

cion,  and  old  Moussa's  experience  has  not  been  such  to 
inspire  confidence  in  Turk,  Arab,  or  Christian  — '  Gen- 
tiles '  as  his  people  call  them.  But  he  will  see  me,  and 
not  where  he  receives  the  outside  world  either."  And 
again  the  old  man  chuckled  as  though  at  some  good  joke, 
and  waited  patiently. 

Presently  the  shuffling  feet  of  the  old  woman  scraped 
along  the  floor ;  the  door  opened  wide  this  time,  and  the 
withered  finger  beckoned  him  to  enter;  but  the  filmy  eye 
gazed  with  curiosity,  not  unmixed  with  discontent,  upon 
the  stranger  admitted  within  those  carefully  closed  por- 
tals, where  precaution  seemed  so  useless  and  so  absurd. 
The  old  man  put  her  gently  aside,  as  though  he  knew 
the  way,  and  entered  a  small  room,  bare  of  all  furniture 
save  some  dirty  divans  and  boxes,  apparently  containing 
papers,  in  niches  in  the  wall.  Passing  through  two  or 
three  similar  apartments  to  where  a  winding  stair  led  to 
the  upper  rooms,  he  stepped  up  to  what  appeared  to  be 
the  outer  wall  of  the  house,  and  tapped  three  times — as 
he  had  upon  the  door  —  on  a  particular  spot,  where  hung 
a  ragged  curtain. 

Opening  noiselessly  was  disclosed  an  entrance  to  a 
narrow  passage,  scarce  high  enough  for  a  tall  man  to 
stand  upright,  which  wound  downward  into  the  obscurity. 
Stooping  his  tall  form,  the  old  man  entered  this,  and 
groped  his  way  through  the  darkness  till  he  felt  what 
seemed  to  be  a  velvet  curtain,  which  he  pushed  aside. 
Then  stood  revealed  a  scene  so  dissimilar  to  the  surround- 
ings, that  one  not  in  the  secret  would  have  believed  him- 
self dreaming,  or  the  victim  of  some  trick:  for  the 
apartment  beyond  was  fitted  up  in  a  style  of  regal  luxury 
surpassing  the  barbaric  splendor  of  the  palaces  even  of 
Abbas  himself.  Good  taste  combined  with  lavish  wealth 


ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS.  I/I 

in  the  decorations  of  the  chamber,  as  well  as  in  its  sumpt- 
uous appointments. 

The  finest  fabrics  of  Damascus  and  of  Broussa,  stiff 
with  gold  embroidery,  covered  the  divans,  the  carpets 
were  the  most  costly  Turkish  rugs,  while  cashmere  shawls 
of  fabulous  value  were  strewn  over  the  seats  and  cushions. 
The  room  —  for  it  had  no  windows  to  admit  light  from 
without  —  was  lit  by  large,  richly  chased  silver  lamps 
hanging  from  the  ceiling ;  the  floor  was  tessellated  mosaic, 
inlaid  with  squares  of  wood  and  mother-of-pearl ;  objects 
of  European  art  in  pictures,  statues  and  bronzes,  were 
hung  upon  the  walls  or  standing  upon  pedestals.  Immense 
wealth,  and  its  lavish  and  tasteful  expenditure  were  ap- 
parent in  this  chamber,  and  its  contrast  to  the  poverty 
and  squalor  of  the  outer  apartments  was  startling  indeed. 

Rising  from  his  divan,  the  owner  of  the  house  advanced 
to  meet  his  guest,  with  even  more  than  the  usual  Eastern 
warmth  and  hospitality. 

Like  his  visitor,  he  too  was  an  aged  man,  with  a  full 
and  snowy  beard,  and  a  large  frame,  bent  and  bowed  as 
much  by  sedentary  labors  as  by  years.  He  was  thin  and 
wiry,  but  not  muscular,  and  wore  the  dress  of  the  Bar- 
bary  Jew.  A  long  loose  wrapper  of  dark  silk,  a  red  mo- 
rocco belt  round  the  waist,  and  an  undershirt  of  striped 
silk  with  silver  buttons 

As  he  raised  his  head,  with  its  ample  white  turban,  from 
the  bowed  position  habitual  to  it,  the  face  was  unmistaka- 
bly that  of  the  Israelite  of  high  type,  such  as  we  see  it  in  the 
pictures  of  the  old  masters,  or  in  the  cities  of  the  East 
and  West  to-day.  There  were  the  high  aquiline  nose, 
curved  like  an  eagle's  beak ;  the  broad  thoughtful  brow ; 
the  large,  inscrutable  eyes,  like  black  fathomless  wells, 
into  whose  depths  it  was  impossible  to  penetrate,  reveal- 


1/2  ASK  A  R  OS   K ASS  IS. 

ing  nothing  of  thought  or  feeling  except  at  will.  The 
perfect  oval  of  the  face,  with  its  olive  tint  and  its  full, 
mobile  lips,  even  with  this  aged  man,  indicated  sensuality 
checked  by  indomitable  will. 

When  he  sat  down,  the  long,  snowy  beard,  as  fine  as 
silk,  fell  even  to  his  knees ;  and  when  he  rose,  it  swept 
over  his  breast,  like  the  mane  of  an  old  lion,  imparting 
a  dignity  to  him  that  made  him  the  living  image  of  the 
Patriarchs  of  his  ancient  people,  in  the  days  when  Jeru- 
salem was  still  the  chosen  city,  and  its  people  the  people 
of  God.  He  looked  the  type  of  what  the  genius  of 
Michael  Angelo  has  made  living  marble,  in  the  statue  of 
Moses  in  the  Church  of  San  Pietro  in  Vinculis  —  so 
solemn,  sad  and  majestic  were  his  face  and  mien. 

"  In  the  name  of  the  Patriarch  Abraham  !  the  common 
father  of  Copt  and  Israelite,  thou  art  welcome  to  this 
house,  into  which  few  Gentiles  enter,"  said  the  host, 
with  a  gesture  of  greeting.  "The  sight  of  a  friend  so 
long  absent  is  as  a  balm  to  mine  eyes.  This  house  and 
all  it  contains  is  thine." 

He  led  his  guest  to  the  seat  of  honor  on  the  divan, 
and  clapping  his  hands  thrice,  called  ' '  Zillah ! ' ' 

Then  there  glided  into  the  room  a  young  Jewish  maiden, 
richly  dressed,  and  with  her  wealth  of  raven  hair  wound 
like  a  coronet  over  her  broad,  low  brow,  and  thickly 
studded  with  precious  stones.  In  her  hand  she  bore  a 
small  silver  salver,  with  sweetmeats  and  wine  of  Cyprus, 
which  she  timidly  offered  the  guest  and  her  grandfather. 
Then,  taking  up  and  kissing  the  hand  of  Askaros,  she 
retired  as  silently  as  she  had  come. 

Then  a  chibouque-ghi  brought  in  the  inevitable  nar- 
gileh  and  coffee,  and,  for  a  time,  the  two  old  men  smoked 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  1/3 

in  a  silence  broken  only  by  the  bubbling  of  their  water- 
pipes.  The  Israelite  spoke  first. 

"The  face  of  my  friend  is  troubled,"  he  said.  "  The 
shadow  of  some  sorrow,  past  or  to  come,  obscures  the 
sunshine  of  his  contentment.  Let  him  unburden  his 
heart  to  Moussa- ben- Israel,  who  is  willing  to  share  the 
load  with  him,  how  heavy  soever  it  may  be." 

"Rightly  hast  thou  judged,  O  son  of  the  Patriarchs !  " 
replied  the  Copt.  "The  dark  shadow  of  a  sorrow  is 
spread  over  my  soul.  I  come  to  thee  for  counsel  and  for 
help ;  for  well  does  Askaros  know,  from  times  of  old, 
that  he  will  never  call  in  vain  on  Moussa-ben-Israel,  even 
when  those  of  his  own  faith  he  dare  not  trust. ' ' 

" Peki  /"  returned  his  host.  "But  how  can  the  perse- 
cuted son  of  a  despised  race  —  who  has  to  burrow  like  a 
fox  in  his  hole  to  baffle  the  Moslem  spoiler;  to  hide 
away  from  the  light  of  day  all  evidence  of  comfort,  that 
he  may  not  be  robbed  and  maltreated  —  how  can  he, 
placed  so  low,  stretch  forth  the  hand  of  help  to  one 
placed  so  high  as  the  powerful  and  wealthy  Khasnadar, 
to  whom  both  Turk  and  Nazarene  pay  reverence  ?  I  fear 
my  lord  is  but  jesting  with  the  poor  Israelite  he  has  hon- 
ored with  his  friendship." 

"Not  so,  O  Moussa  !  "  was  the  answer.  "  For  none 
is  safe  in  Egypt  from  the  prowling  tiger,  who  has  suc- 
ceeded to  the  lair,  but  not  to  the  nature  of  that  lion  of 
Islam  —  Mehemet  All !  My  soul  is  dark  within  me,  for 
I  see  the  signs  of  coming  danger;  and  I  seek  thee  in 
whom  I  confide  more  than  in  living  man,  although  thou 
wilt  still  cling  to  thine  ancient  superstition,  and  reject  the 
incarnate  God,  in  the  person  of  His  Son!"  and  he 
crossed  himself.  "  But  that  is  a  matter  between  thy  God 
and  thee.  In  matters  of  this  world  I  know  I  may  trust 
15* 


1/4  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

thee.  Hearken,  then,  closely  to  what  I  have  to  tell 
thee." 

And  he  proceeded  to  unfold  to  the  old  Israelite  his 
doubts  and  fears,  giving  him  full  details  of  all  matters 
connected  with  them. 

Moussa-ben-Israel  sat  motionless  while  the  other  spoke, 
his  shaggy  eyebrows  drawn  down  over  his  sombre  eyes, 
into  which  there  crept  a  deeper  shadow ;  occasionally 
stroking  his  beard  with  his  right  hand,  but  never  inter- 
rupting the  long  recital. 

When  it  was  concluded,  he  said  briefly : 

' '  Thou  hast  reason  to  take  precaution.  There  is  danger 
to  thee  and  thine  in  this  thing.  But  tell  me  one  thing 
more :  canst  thou  trust  the  young  Syrian,  Daoud-ben- 
Youssouf,  thy  former  Wakeel  ?  Thou  knowest,  him  I 
never  fancied.  I  always  deemed  him  far  too  old  for  his 
years  —  a  dangerous  thing  in  youth  —  and  as  slippery  as 
smooth.  Beware,  O  my  brother  !  of  that  frozen  snake  ; 
else  may  he  sting  the  bosom  that  warmed  him.  He  is 
far  too  old  for  his  years,  believe  me.  Zillah  tells  me  thy 
daughter  hath  been  here  of  late,  and  she  distrusts  thy 
former  Wakeel.  This  she  hath  told  Zillah  ;  for  the  young 
women  have  but  one  heart,  and  keep  nothing  the  one 
from  the  other." 

"Truly,  I  suspected  not  that!"  cried  the  old  man, 
startled.  "And  I  have  been  foolishly  indiscreet  in 
telling  the  young  man  my  plans  and  purposes.  But  I 
have  come  to  thee,  O  Moussa!  as  I  said  before,  for 
counsel  and  for  aid ;  and  what  I  now  do,  I  shall  tell 
none,  not  even  my  son.  I  seek,  firstly,  through  thy  aid, 
to  place  in  the  land  of  the  Frangi  the  proceeds  of  these 
jewels.  This  thou  well  canst  do  through  thy  kindred  in 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  1/5 

Holland  and  elsewhere,  and  from  thy  knowledge  of 
those  countries  where  thou  didst  so  long  sojourn." 

As  he  spoke  he  took  from  within  his  girdle  a  small 
chamois-skin  bag,  and  opening  it,  disclosed  a  number 
of  rare  and  precious  stones  —  diamonds,  emeralds  and 
rubies  —  into  which  he  had,  in  the  Eastern  fashion,  con- 
centrated much  wealth. 

"These  thou  wilt  take  and  deposit  in  the  name  of 
my  son,  and,  failing  him,  of  my  adopted  daughter,  El 
Warda,  in  the  hands  of  some  of  thy  people  abroad, 
keeping  thyself  only  a  memorandum  of  the  same,  and 
sending  one  to  thy  kindred.  I  dare  not  keep  one ;  but 
thee  I  know  I  may  trust  now,  even  as  I  have  done  so 
often  before,  ere  our  beards  had  become  snow,  and  our 
hearts  water  !  The  second  favor  I  shall  crave  of  thee 
will  be  even  a  greater  one.  It  is  that,  in  case  the  danger 
may  descend  upon  me,  and  El  Warda  shall  be  deprived 
of  myself  and  of  my  son,  that  thou  wilt  take  her  under 
the  shadow  of  thy  roof,  until  she  can  be  sent  out  of  this 
wicked  and  this  weary  land.  Here  thou  canst  conceal 
her,  and  in  Zillah  she  will  find  a  comforter  and  a  sister. 
Swear  this  to  me,  O  Moussa !  for  my  heart  groweth  sick 
with  a  strange  presentiment  of  evil  for  the  poor  child. 
For  thou  knowest  she  is  beautiful,  and  the  lust  of  Abbas 
is  only  equalled  by  his  cruelty  and  his  avarice. ' ' 

The  Israelite  rose,  placed  his  hand  beneath  the  right 
thigh  of  the  Copt,  and  said,  solemnly : 

"  By  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob  !  I  swear 
to  thee  thy  wishes  shall  be  as  laws  unto  Moussa-ben- 
Israel  in  those  things  which  thou  hast  spoken.  And  may 
God  so  deal  with  me  as  I  keep  this  oath  ! ' ' 

Then,  after  a  moment's  pause,  he  resumed,  in  a  less 
serious  tone : 


176  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

"  But  I  trust  we  may  both  be  over  anxious  regarding 
these  matters.  Age,  like  evening,  lengthens  the  shadows 
of  all  things,  until  they  grow  far  greater  than  the  sub- 
stance. So  may  it  be  with  us  !  " 

The  Copt  shook  his  head. 

"Neither  thou  nor  I  are  children,  O  Moussa,"  he 
said,  "nor  yet  over  timid.  But  we  both  agree  in  the 
danger  that  menaces  from  the  cruelty  and  calculating 
avarice  of  Abbas.  But  thou  hast  taken  a  great  weight 
off  my  heart  by  thy  promise,  which  I  know  thou  wilt 
keep." 

"So  help  me  the  Lord  of  Israel!"  was  the  solemn 
response. 

Then,  satisfied  with  the  pledge,  and,  after  mutual 
benedictions,  the  two  old  men  —  so  dissimilar  in  faith 
and  life,  character  and  creed,  yet  brethren  in  native 
truth  and  nobleness  of  soul  —  parted,  never  again  to 
meet  this  side  of  the  Great  Judgment-Seat. 

A  painful  gloom  depressed  the  heart  of  each ;  and,  as 
the  Copt,  accompanied  by  his  host  to  the  outer  door, 
passed  into  the  open  house,  the  old  Israelite's  hitherto 
calm  face  worked  with  emotion,  and  he  clutched  angrily 
at  his  white  beard  as  he  muttered : 

"  Why  did  he  trust  that  slippery  Syrian  !  I  fear  evil 
may  come  of  it !  —  I  fear  evil  ! ' ' 


CHAPTER    XV. 

THE    WILD    DOGS. 

THE  exultation  and  regrets  of  Princess  Nezle  Kha- 
num  had  both  been  premature.  The  young  Copt 
had  escaped  one  peril  only  to  fall  a  victim  to  another. 

A  practised  swimmer,  when  he  plunged  into  the 
swollen  tide  and  sunk  deep  under  its  waters,  he  did  not 
rise  immediately  to  the  surface,  fearing  treachery  on  the 
part  of  the  vindictive  woman,  who  might  order  her  slaves 
to  fire  at  his  head  as  soon  as  it  appeared  over  the  water, 
but  floated  on  the  undercurrent,  which  swept  him  rapidly 
out  of  range  of  vision,  in  the  gray  dim  obscurity  of  the 
early  morning. 

Then  he  rose  to  the  surface,  the  point  below  Boulak 
making  a  bend  in  the  river,  that  of  itself  would  hide 
him  from  any  one  in  the  palace.  Still  he  floated  down 
a  further  distance  of  a  mile,  then  striking  out  for  the 
shore,  reached  it  in  safety,  though  chilled  through  by  his 
long  immersion,  and  exhausted  by  his  sleepless  night 
and  the  exciting  scenes  through  which  he  passed.  He 
felt  worn,  jaded,  miserable  in  mind  and  body ;  but,  at 
the  same  time,  thankful  for  deliverance  from  the  peril  he 
had  so  narrowly  escaped,  he  breathed  an  inward  vow 

M  177 


1/8  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

that  he  would  profit  by  his  lesson,  and  lead  a  new  and 
better  life  thenceforward. 

He  could  scarcely  believe  the  incidents  of  the  past 
night  realities,  and  not  the  creation  of  a  fevered  dream, 
so  strange  and  unreal  did  they  seem  in  the  cheerful  light 
of  day,  and  under  the  splendid  sunlight  which  now  began 
to  gild  the  fresh  and  rising  morn.  Weary,  worn,  with 
his  wounded  arm  beginning  to  grow  stiff  and  painful,  he 
dragged  himself  along  the  paths  through  the  fields  that 
skirted  the  river,  over  the  soft,  adhesive  mud,  still  damp 
from  its  recent  inundation.  He  was  several  miles  from 
Cairo,  having  drifted  some  miles  below  Boulak,  and 
having  to  make  a  detour  to  avoid  her  palace,  lest  some 
of  the  Khanum's  people  might  be  prowling  in  search  of 
him. 

He  well  knew  she  was  a  woman  who  would  spare  no 
precautions,  and  take  nothing  for  granted,  and  that  she 
would  never  believe  him  dead  until  she  heard  of  the  dis- 
covery of  his  corpse.  He,  therefore,  determined  to 
make  a  wide  detour ;  but  soon  fatigue  and  languor  over- 
came him,  and  he  lay  down  under  a  palm-tree,  on  the 
thick  grass,  and  fell  into  a  deep,  refreshing  slumber.  It 
was  past  noon  when  he  awoke,  and,  feeling  the  need  of 
refreshment,  went  to  a  coffee-house  on  the  roadside  and 
took  some  kibabs  of  roasted  meat  and  brown  bread,  with 
a  handful  of  dates.  Then  he  resumed  his  walk ;  and 
unwilling  to  pass  through  the  city  of  Cairo  in  his  present 
attire,  lest  some  one  should  recognize  him,  struck  out  for 
the  Shoubra  road,  which  would  lead  him  by  the  desert 
to  the  Bab-el-Nazr,  or  Gate  of  Victory,  by  the  famous 
tombs  of  the  Memlook  kings. 

This  was  a  circuit  of  several  miles,  and  he  was  already 
beginning  to  feel  severely  the  pain  of  his  wound,  but  he 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  179 

trudged  on,  full  of  shame  and  regret  for  the  past,  and  of 
good  resolves  for  the  future,  mingled  with  thanks  for  his 
deliverance  forever  from  the  wicked  Circe,  who  had  so 
nearly  imperiled  both  his  body  and  his  soul. 

It  was  near  twilight  of  the  short  winter's  day  when  the 
young  Copt,  worn  and  weary,  reached  those  wonderful 
structures  known  as  the  Tombs  of  the  Caliphs,  or  of  the 
Memlook  Sultans,  which  rise  out  of  the  bare  bald  desert 
near  the  Bab-el-Nazr,  or  Gate  of  Victory,  which  leads 
into  the  Turkish  quarter  of  Cairo.  These  buildings, 
combining  the  character  of  mosque  and  palace,  are  the 
best  specimens  of  Saracenic  architecture  remaining  in 
Egypt;  and,  though  crumbling  to  ruin  and  much  dilapi- 
dated, still  present  a  most  imposing  appearance,  with 
their  great  domes,  their  high  minarets,  and  their  tessel- 
lated walls  —  relics  of  by-gone  splendor.  Formerly  the 
centre  of  a  great  city,  with  the  residences  of  the  court 
favorites  grouped  around  them,  in  the  days  of  these 
Caliphs  —  now  they  stand  as  the  memorials  of  an  almost 
unknown  and  forgotten  age,  in  a  clime  and  country  even 
where  everything  seems  to  belong  to  that  past  —  even 
the  present.  Like  the  Pyramids  —  which  the  father  of 
history,  Herodotus,  declares  to  have  been,  even  in  his 
-day,  the  property  of  tradition  —  these  more  modern 
memorials  of  man's  vanity  and  pride  are  now  left  to 
crumble  into  dust,  useless  and  uninhabited  by  man,  with 
their  only  tenants  the  prowling  wild  beasts  and  the  birds 
of  the  air. 

High  up  against  the  clear  blue  of  the  evening  sky,  rose 
battlemented  towers,  airy  minaret  and  rounded  cupola, 
quaintly  designed  and  carved  with  all  the  intricate  deli- 
cacy of  Moorish  architecture.  But  from  those  silent 
balconies  of  the  high  minarets  came  no  voice  of  Muezzin 


ISO  A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS. 

now,  proclaiming  the  greatness  of  God,  and  calling  the 
faithful  to  His  worship.  The  foul  vulture,  folding  his 
heavy  flapping  wings,  sullenly  settled  down  to  perch 
upon  them,  screaming  his  obscene  cry;  and  the  fox 
looked  out  of  the  windows  over  the  dreary  desert,  where 
the  eyes  of  kings  and  conquerors  had  proudly  gazed  upon 
a  great  city,  when  armies  with  banners  filed  in  and  out 
of  the  Bab-el-Nazr,  where  now  only  the  laden  camel  and 
the  patient  donkey  with  his  panniers  pass.  The  unrelent- 
ing Past  had  devoured  her  children,  even  to  their  tombs. 

As  though  in  mockery  of  fallen  grandeur,  and  in  scorn 
of  the  crumbling  but  still  majestic  ruins,  near  these  old 
palaces  of  forgotten  Sultans,  on  a  sort  of  mound,  was 
cast  all  the  refuse  of  the  city.  There,  too,  were  thrown 
all  the  dead  animals,  and,  though  in  that  dry  and  burn- 
ing climate  these  rapidly  turned  to  dust,  still  the  air 
around  was  infected  by  the  heavy,  loathsome  odor  of 
putrescence  from  rotting  vegetable  and  decaying  animal 
life.  Here,  too,  in  the  midst  of  this  festering  garbage 
and  corruption,  the  Egyptian  wild  dogs  had  burrowed 
into  the  hillside,  and  raised  their  progeny,  never  enter- 
ing the  city,  nor  mingling  with  the  tamer  animals  of  the 
same  species  that  inhabited  the  different  quarters  of  the 
city,  by  some  arrangement  understood  among  themselves. 
For  in  Egypt,  the  dog,  being  considered  an  unclean  ani- 
mal, is  not  domesticated,  as  with  us;  though  Eastern 
humanity,  or  religious  feeling,  forbids  the  destruction  of 
animal  life  unless  for  food,  or  from  necessity.  There- 
fore, the  dogs  increase  and  multiply  in  immense  numbers, 
but  live  and  die  homeless  and  masterless,  subsisting  upon 
the  offal  thrown  into  the  streets,  and  constituting  them- 
selves the  scavengers  of  the  city. 

They  go  in  packs,  patrolling  certain  quarters  or  streets, 


ASKAROS    /CASSIS.  l8l 

and  the  interloper,  not  belonging  to  that  quarter,  is  sure 
to  be  severely  punished,  if  not  killed,  when  he  ventures 
out  of  his  own  beat.  But  these  city  dogs  are  partially 
tamed.  Accustomed  to  his  presence,  though  not  made 
the  associate  of  man,  they  skulk  away  at  his  approach. 
Not  so  those,  desert  born  and  bred,  which  partake  more 
of  the  nature  and  habits  of  the  wild  beast  —  gaunt,  grim 
and  wolfish  in  appearance,  with  long  lean,  almost  hair- 
less bodies,  wild,  eager  eyes,  and  long  sharp  teeth,  dis- 
played and  used  for  slightest  provocation  on  man  and 
beast.  Cowardly,  too,  as  ferocious,  they  never  attack 
but  in  packs,  howling  —  not  barking  —  with  a  whine  like 
that  of  the  jackal.  During  the  day  they  sleep  in  their 
hillside  burrows,  awaking  and  prowling  out  for  prey  as 
the  sun  sets,  gorging  themselves  on  garbage,  or  offal, 
during  the  night. 

This  peculiar  spot  was  known  to  be  particularly  dan- 
gerous from  the  ferocity  of  its  troop  of  wild  dogs  :  and 
Askaros  quickened  his  steps  as  he  saw  the  sun  declining, 
to  get  out  of  a  neighborhood  so  unsavory  and  unpleasant 
in  all  respects. 

Heedless  of  these  inconveniences,  however,  seemed 
the  Bedouin  Arabs  of  the  desert,  whose  low,  black  tents 
he  saw  stretched  fan-like  on  the  ground  a  hundred  paces 
off,  their  small,  wiry  horses  picketed  motionless  on  the 
sand,  each  with  his  nose  in  a  bag  of  oats,  tied  round  his 
head,  as  an  impromptu  manger. 

The  Copt  strode  rapidly  on,  loosening  in  his  belt  the 
dagger  which  he  had  borne  away  as  a  trophy  from  the 
harem,  turning  his  head  occasionally  for  a  quick  glance 
around,  but  seeing  or  hearing  nothing  which  could  dis- 
compose him.  The  Bab-el-Nazr  was  now  in  sight  —  his 
road  leading  to  it  —  when,  suddenly  turning  one  of  the 
16 


1 82  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

little  hillocks  to  get  a  shorter  cut  to  it,  he  stumbled  into 
the  very  midst  of  a  pack  of  wild  dogs,  gorging  and  grum- 
bling over  the  almost  clean-stripped  carcass  of  a  horse. 

The  savage  brutes, whose  foul  jaws  were  dripping  with 
blood,  and  whose  bristling  hair  and  angry  eyes  showed 
their  hunger  as  yet  unsated,  while  they  snarled  and 
snapped  and  tore  at  each  other,  as  one  would  secure  a 
morsel  coveted  by  the  rest,  suddenly  ceased  their  strife. 
They  heard  the  step  and  saw  the  form  of  the  intruder, 
and  fifty  glowing  eyes  glared  with  mingled  rage  and  fear 
upon  him. 

In  the  dead  stillness  that  ensued,  Askaros  could  dis- 
tinctly hear  the  loud  beating  of  his  own  heart.  He  stood 
motionless ;  for  he  knew  flight  would  be  the  signal  for  a 
chase,  in  which  there  would  be  no  hope  of  escape,  since, 
even  in  his  full  freshness  and  vigor,  he  could  not  outstrip 
the  pursuit  of  those  fell  hunters,  who  would  rend  him 
limb  from  limb.  His  very  soul  sickened  within  him,  as 
it  would  have  done  at  no  ordinary  peril,  before  this 
hideous  and  revolting  shape  of  danger  and  of  possible 
death.  But  he  stole  his  hand  to  his  poniard,  braced 
every  nerve  and  muscle,  and,  watching  warily  what  next 
the  dogs  might  do,  made  no  movement  to  provoke  the,m. 
Motionless  he  stood  as  an  inanimate  object,  in  the  hope 
they  might  resume  their  feast,  and  permit  him  to  steal 
away  from  their  dangerous  vicinity. 

The  wild  dogs  seemed  almost  as  startled  and  perplexed 
as  the  man.  They  suspended  their  meal  and  their  con- 
flict among  themselves,  stared  stupidly  at  their  enemy, 
then,  abandoning  the  carcass,  broke  into  small  groups, 
and  turned  inquiringly  toward  each  other,  to  take  counsel 
together.  But  they  ever  turned  their  long  wolfish  heads 
and  gleaming  eyes  upon  their  new  and  living  quarry.  A 


AS  A' A  It  OS    K AS  SI'S.  183 

suspense  of  some  minutes,  which  seemed  ages  to  Askaros, 
ensued  ;  and  then  one  gaunt,  grim  dog,  whose  grizzled 
muzzle,  and  wrinkled,  brown  skin  denoted  great  age,  and 
who  seemed  the  leader  of  the  troop,  advanced  stealthily 
a  few  paces  in  advance  of  the  rest,  and,  crouching  low, 
turned  his  head,  uttering  a  long,  low  howl.  This  seemed 
the  signal  for  the  pack  to  group  themselves  in  solid  mass 
behind  him.  Turning  its  head  once  more  toward  its 
human  foe  and  possible  prey,  the  hideous  thing, to  whose 
protruding  tongue  and  grisly  jaws  the  remnants  of  its  foul 
repast  still  clung,  crouched  again  almost  on  its  belly, 
and  dragged  itself,  step  by  step,  forward,  its  blazing, 
yellow  eyes,  with  tawny  iris,  fixed  on  the  man's.  Slowly 
the  rest  of  the  pack,  like  well-trained  hounds  in  view  of 
the  deer,  followed  in  his  wake. 

The  blood  of  the  Egyptian  crept  chilly  through  his 
veins,  and  his  heart  almost  stood  still,  as  hope  deserted 
him,  and  a  doom  more  dreadful  and  more  hideous  than 
that  he  had  just  escaped  now  confronted  him.  But  still, 
even  in  this  terrible  emergency,  his  courage  did  not 
desert  him.  Flight  was  impossible :  he  must  front  and 
meet  the  danger. 

Quickly  he  glanced  around,  to  see  if  any  chance  could 
offer  a  stick  or  stone  among  the  rubbish  ;  but  the  desert 
pebbles  were  too  small  for  useful  weapons,  and  the  stony 
surface  of  the  sand  presented  not  a  switch  or  shrub. 
Griping  hard  his  dagger,  he  raised  his  head,  threw  up 
his  arm  in  a  menacing  gesture,  and  made  a  step  forward 
toward  the  dogs.  As  he  did  so  he  shouted  desperately 
a  call  for  help,  in  hopes  of  calling  the  attention  of  the 
Bedouins,  whose  dusky  forms  he  saw  flitting  among  their 
tents,  scarce  a  hundred  yards  away — in  the  hope,  too, 


184  ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS. 

of  terrifying  the  savage  dogs,  still  crouching  for  their 
spring. 

In  the  one  hope  he  knew  not  whether  he  had  suc- 
ceeded. In  the  other  he  had  certainly  failed  !  Whether 
the  sound  of  his  voice  and  the  meaning  of  his  call  had 
reached  the  Bedouin  camp  he  knew  not,  and  had  no  time 
to  watch.  His  other  hope,  of  terrifying  his  assailants, 
he  saw,  at  a  glance,  had  failed,  and  that  his  voice  and 
gesture  had  accelerated  the  catastrophe  he  had  sought  to 
avert.  For,  at  the  sound  of  the  human  voice,  the  gaunt 
leader  of  the  grisly  pack  rose  from  his  crouching  posture, 
every  hair  in  his  hide  bristling  with  rage,  his  eyes  aglow 
with  hungry  hate,  and  snarling  till  his  sharp,  white  fangs 
were  fully  displayed. 

Then,  with  a  low  howl,  he  dashed  forward  to  assail 
the  daring  stranger,  followed  by  the  whole  pack  in 
serried  column,  none  daring  to  pass  their  leader. 

With  a  brief  inward  prayer  to  the  Virgin  for  mercy  on 
his  soul,  Askaros  sunk  on  one  knee  to  meet  the  upward 
bound  of  his  assailant,  as  he  sprang  like  a  panther  on  his 
prey.  Catching  him  full  in  the  throat  with  his  dagger 
from  below,  he  drove  in  the  sharp  steel  up  to  the  hilt, 
hurling  the  beast  backward,  with  the  blood  streaming 
from  the  half-severed  head  and  foaming  jaws  !  The 
sight  of  his  blood  seemed  to  infuriate  his  followers ;  and 
with  their  savage  instinct  they  fell  fiercely  upon  him, 
rending  and  tearing  till  his  quivering  limbs  were  still. 
Then  they  fought  and  struggled  for  his  scattered  frag- 
ments, which  they  greedily  devoured,  forgetting  for  the 
moment  their  human  foe. 

With  straining  eyeballs  fixed  upon  the  foul  things, 
snarling  at  his  very  feet,  Askaros  stood  still  as  death ; 
for  he  knew  the  slightest  movement  would  turn  their 


ASK  A  R  OS    KASSIS.  185 

rage  upon  him,  and  his  very  soul  sickened  at  the  thought, 
that  he  saw  his  horrid  doom  shadowed  in  that  of  his 
recent  victim.  Still  resting  upon  his  knee,  and  still 
griping  the  dagger,  as  his  only  earthly  hope,  he  waited 
till  their  fearful  repast  was  done. 

It  was  soon  over,  and  with  it  the  respite  accorded 
him.  For  the  wild  dogs,  still  unsated  and  made  more 
savage  by  the  taste  of  fresh  blood,  again  ranged  them- 
selves in  column,  and  with  a  low  howl,  that  \.o  his  ex- 
cited ear  seemed  his  death-knell,  once  more  rushed  upon 
their  victim  ! 

At  that  second  flashed  past  his  swimming  vision  what 
seemed  a  white  apparition  —  then  another  —  and  another ! 
as  with  a  wild  yell  three  Bedouins  bore  down  upon 
them.  Their  white  bournous  fluttering  in  the  wind 
created  by  the  arrowy  rush  of  their  fleet  mares  —  the 
sharp  points  of  their  long  lances  glittering  like  stars  — 
they  charged  right  into  the  midst  of  the  wild  pack  — 
trampling,  spearing,  and  scattering  them  in  all  direc- 
tions ! 

The  howls  and  wails  of  terror  from  the  stricken 
brutes  succeeded  fast  upon  the  ominous  growl  that  had 
but  now  preceded  their  attack;  and  Askaros  —  recovering 
from  his  surprise  at  the  unexpected  deliverance — saw  his 
late  assailants  now  dispersed  in  headlong  flight,  now 
writhing  on  the  spear-points  of  his  new-found  friends. 

"Thanks  to  the  Virgin  !  "  he  cried  ;  "  my  prayer  has 
been  heard,  and  I  have  been  spared  this  fearful  doom  ! 
And  now  I  must  thank  the  human  instruments  she  sent 
for  my  deliverance."  And  he  turned  his  steps  toward 
the  tents,  there  to  await  the  return  of  his  rescuers. 

A  few  moments  later  he  was  sitting  smoking  with  the 
Sheik  of  the  tribe,  under  his  low  black  tent,  in  the  middle 
16* 


186  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

of  which  only  could  one  stand  erect.  His  wounded  arm 
had  been  cared  for,  and  submitted  to  the  skilful  surgery 
of  these  children  of  the  desert — learned  only  in  Nature's 
lore.  No  prince  in  his  costly  palace  could  have  dis- 
played more  courtly  dignity  and  courtesy  than  did  the 
swarthy  Sheik,  sitting  under  his  black  tent,  his  camel's- 
hair  bournous  almost  his  sole  garment,  and  the  cushions 
on  which  they  sat  almost  his  only  furniture. 

"  We  are  of  the  tribe  of  Abou-Gosh,"  he  had  replied 
to  the  other's  inquiries;  "and  come  from  Syria.  Our 
presence  here  is  accidental  —  Allah  surely  sent  us,"  he 
added  with  grave  courtesy,  "  to  be  your  rescuers.  Allah 
Kerim  ! ' '  (God  is  great. ) 

"  Abou-Gosh  !  "  answered  the  young  man ;  "  well  do 
I  know  that  name.  He  is  the  Bedouin  chieftain  whom 
men  call  King  of  Syria ;  who  owes  allegiance  to  neither 
Sultan  nor  Viceroy,  and  levies  his  tribute  on  all  strangers 
passing  from  Joppa  to  El  Khuds,  the  Holy  City.  He  is 
my  father's  old  friend.  But  where  are  my  deliverers, 
that  I  may  thank  them?" 

The  Bedouins  were  sent  for  by  the  Sheik,  entered  and 
stood  waiting  with  all  the  impassive  quiet  that  character- 
izes the  every  movement  of  the  children  of  the  desert. 
When  Askaros  offered  them  a  liberal  backschisch  (pres- 
ent,) they  put  it  aside  and  shook  their  heads. 

"The  children  of  Ishmael  who  dwell  intents,"  the 
Sheik  answered  for  them,  "have  no  use  for  gold.  Their 
wants  are  few  —  steel  heads  to  their  lances,  a  handful  of 
dates  to  eat,  and  a  horse  to  ride.  They  need  nothing 
more ;  far  less  would  they  be  paid  for  the  small  service 
they  rendered  you.  We  are  all  the  children  of  Allah, 
whether  we  dwell  in  tents  or  in  cities ;  and  we  are  all 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  l8/ 

bound  to  aid  each  other.  Bismillah  ! ' '  (God  be  with 
you.) 

The  young  Copt  rose  to  depart,  after  bidding  a  court- 
eous farewell  to  his  host,  who  commanded  two  of  the  Be- 
douins to  conduct  him  to  the  Bab-el-Nazr,  lest  he  were 
again  attacked  ;  for  he  saw  his  guest  was  weary  and  faint 
from  loss  of  blood. 

In  silence  did  Askaros  pass  to  the  gate,  with  his  wild 
escort,  where  he  again  vainly  strove  to  press  a  reward 
upon  them.  Then  he  wearily  dragged  himself  along 
until  he  reached  the  outer  wall  of  the  garden  of  his 
father's  house.  He  rested  for  a  moment  in  the  narrow 
street,  vainly  searching  for  the  key ;  apparently  he  had 
lost  it  during  his  wanderings ;  so,  striking  upon  the  gate, 
he  called  aloud  :  "  Ferraj  !  Ferraj  !  " 

"  Home,  and  safe  at  last !  "  he  murmured,  gratefully. 
"Did  Haroun  himself  go  through  more  adventures  in 
twenty-four  hours  than  I  have  done?  God  be  praised 
for  my  safety  —  I  scarce  deserve  it. ' ' 

As  he  spoke  he  turned  quickly ;  he  heard  the  sound 
of  stealthy  feet  moving  behind  him.  As  he  did  so,  he 
felt  himself  seized  by  strong  hands,  his  arms  pinioned  to 
his  side,  and  a  cloak  thrown  over  his  head,  almost  stifling 
him,  and  preventing  the  utterance  of  a  sound  or  cry. 
Then  he  was  lifted  up,  thrown  across  a  horse  in  front  of 
a  rider,  and  slowly  and  stealthily  borne  away  through 
the  dark  and  deserted  streets. 

Through  his  brain  there  flashed  one  thought : 

' '  I  have  not  escaped  the  Khanum !  She  will  now  com- 
plete her  work.  Oh  !  why  was  I  saved  from  the  wild 
dog,  to  glut  the  maw  of  the  tigress?" 

But  powerless  to  act  or  move,  the  young  man  made  no 
struggle,  and  was  borne  along  unresistingly. 


1 88  ASA'AKOS    KASSIS. 

As  the  seizure  was  effected,  and  the  captors — joined 
by  a  company  of  armed  and  mounted  men,  who  had 
lurked  at  the  corner  of  the  next  street — moved  off  with 
the  prize  —  a  dusky,  shadowy  shape,  which  seemed  to 
spring  out  of  the  very  wall,  glided  cautiously  after  the 
retreating  band.  It  followed  swiftly  and  stealthily  upon 
their  track ;  the  shades  of  night  soon  swallowing  up  cap- 
tors and  spy,  who  dogged  their  steps — as  they  hurried — • 
whither  ? 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

THE   TIGER -TAMER. 

ABBAS  PASHA,  Viceroy  of  Egypt,  sat  on  his  divan 
in  his  desert  palace  of  Abbassieh,  which  in  one  of 
his  freaks,  he,  like  a  new  Aladdin,  had  caused  to  spring 
up,  in  the  midst  of  the  sterile  sea  of  sand.  Far  as  the 
eye  could  reach,  from  the  upper  windows  of  the  palace, 
naught  was  to  be  seen  but  the  desert ;  and  the  lofty  pile 
of  stone,  with  its  wide  wings,  large  enough  for  the  accom- 
modation of  the  court  of  an  European  king,  occupied  the 
centre  of  a  square,  surrounded  by  barracks,  in  which 
were  quartered  several  regiments  of  soldiers,  as  a  guard  to 
the  palace  and  person  of  the  suspicious  tyrant. 

The  whole  fabric  seemed  to  rise  like  an  exhalation  out 
of  the  dreary  desert  which  environed  it. 

The  barracks  were  long,  low  buildings,  two  stories  high, 
over  which  rose  high  in  the  air  the  towers  and  cupolas  of 
the  lofty  palace.  But  they  entirely  surrounded  the  square, 
and  ingress  or  egress  from  the  palace  was  through  one 
of  their  gates,  a  wall  of  solid  masonry  shutting  out  other 
entrance. 

There  was  a  heavy  cloud  on  the  Viceroy's  brow,  and 
his  ill-humor  was  so  evident,  that  his  cringing  courtiers 

189 


190  A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS. 

kept  at  a  distance,  preserving  a  respectful  silence,  and  a 
stillness  like  that  of  death  reigned  in  the  apartment. 

Abbas  beckoned  to  Mahmoud  Bey  —  long  since  rein- 
stated and  in  high  favor  —  and,  at  the  sign,  the  obse- 
quious chamberlain  glided  forward,  kissed  the  hem  of 
his  robe,  and  awaited  his  master's  orders. 

"  Did  you  tell  the  consul-general,"  said  Abbas,  "that 
I  was  ill  and  could  not  see  him?" 

"  Effendina,  I  did.  I  repeated  the  words  as  given, 
which  were  engraved  on  the  memory  of  thy  slave." 

"  What  said  the  infidel  in  reply?"  asked  the  Viceroy. 

"  He  replied,  O  Effendina  !  that 'it  grieved  him  much 
to  hear  of  thy  failing  health,  but  that  the  matter  on  which 
he  wished  to  speak  was  most  pressing.  If,  therefore,  ill 
health  incapacitated  my  lord  from  the  public  affairs,  he 
would  be  compelled  to  transfer  the  consideration  of  the 
matter  to  Stamboul,  as  it  concerned  the  honor  of  his 
nation.  So  spoke  the  insolent  Giaour  !  " 

A  blacker  frown  darkened  the  brow  of  Abbas,  and  he 
muttered:  "  May  his  father's  grave  be  defiled!  What 
then  didst  thou  answer?" 

"  I  replied,  O  lord  of  my  life  !  that  although  thine  ill- 
ness had  been  serious,  yet  was  I  charged  to  say,  that  in 
the  event  of  the  actual  necessity  of  the  visit,  my  lord  the 
Viceroy  would,  in  defiance  of  the  order  of  his  Hakeem, 
allow  the  consul-general  to  visit  him.  He  could  not 
come  into  the  city,  but  would  receive  him  here  at  the 
Abbassieh." 

"Pefa'/"  (it  is  well),  said  the  Viceroy:  "thy  face  is 
white  in  my  presence.  Thou  hast  fulfilled  my  orders 
with  discretion.  And  so  the  dog  said  he  would  come 
to-day?" 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  igi 

"  Highness,  yes !  and  the  hour  has  now  come  when  he 
should  arrive." 

"  Peki !  he  shall  be  received.  Give  the  necessary 
orders  for  his  admittance. ' ' 

As  he  spoke,  a  noise  in  the  outer  court,  in  which  the 
rolling  of  wheels,  the  trampling  of  horses,  and  the  clat- 
tering of  sabres,  as  the  guard  turned  out  to  meet  some 
visitor,  announced  an  arrival. 

"The  son  of  Sheitan  (Satan)  is  not  only  pressing,  but 
punctual,"  muttered  the  Viceroy.  "What  can  he  know, 
and  what  does  he  want?  Bakaloum,  we  shall  see  !  " 

Steps  were  now  heard  reverberating  through  the  long 
galleries  which  led  to  the  reception-room,  the  curtain 
was  pushed  aside,  and  the  obsequious  chamberlain  en- 
tered, ushering  in  the  same  consul-general,  whose  pre- 
sentation has  already  been  described,  followed  by  his 
suite. 

The  Viceroy  rose,  advanced  a  few  steps  to  meet  him, 
and  motioned  him  to  the  seat  of  honor  by  his  side,  which 
he  took. 

After  a  few  preliminary  compliments  had  been  ex- 
changed, a  chibouque  smoked,  and  a  cup  of  coffee 
sipped,  the  consul-general,  still  holding  in  his  hand  the 
long  pipe  with  its  amber  mouthpiece  encircled  with 
jewels,  turned  gravely  to  his  host  and  said  : 

"Highness  !  I  must  apologize  for  insisting  on  an  inter- 
view, after  learning  the  delicate  state  of  your  health ;  but 
my  business  was  so  pressing  I  could  not  defer  it ;  so  hope 
you  will  excuse  me." 

"You  are  welcome!"  answered  Abbas;  "and  your 
visit  is  better  for  my  health  than  that  of  a  Hakeem.  Al- 
ready I  feel  strong  enough  to  hear  what  you  have  to  say." 


192  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

This  polite  speech  was  contradicted  by  the  covert  sneer 
which  lurked  in  the  corners  of  the  sensual  mouth. 

The  consul-general  did  not  seem  to  have  perceived  the 
covert  irony,  but  answered  promptly  : 

"Then,  Highness  !  not  to  fatigue  you  too  long,  I  will 
tell  you  what  brings  me  here.  Your  people — I  am  sure 
without  your  orders — have  done  wrong  and  injury  to 
mine ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  have  insulted  the  govern- 
ment I  represent  by  so  doing.  It  is  for  this  I  come  to- 
day, to  demand  reparation  of  the  wrong,  and  the  punish- 
ment of  the  wrongdoers." 

"The  consul-general  knows  I  respect  him,  and  his 
government  also.  It  is  only  necessary  to  prove  the  wrong 
done  him  or  them,  to  insure  its  reparation.  Of  what  has 
he  to  complain  ?  " 

"Highness!  I  have  to  complain  that  the  translator 
of  my  consulate-general,  Askaros  Kassis  by  name,  has 
been  forcibly  abducted,  and  is  now  a  prisoner  in  the 
citadel  of  Cairo,  in  contempt  of  my  protection,  and  in 
violation  of  the  rights  of  foreign  agents  in  Egypt,  as  re- 
cognized by  your  predecessors  and  yourself." 

With  all  his  self-control,  Abbas  could  not  prevent  a 
red  flush  rising  to  his  cheek  at  the  mention  of  the  name 
of  the  man  he  hated,  and  the  bold  utterances  of  the 
consul-general;  but  his  manner  continued  as  calm  and 
unruffled  as  ever,  as  he  said: 

"Since  we  are  to  discuss  matters  of  business,  let  us  do 
so  without  all  these  witnesses.  I  had  flattered  myself 
your  visit  was  one  of  courtesy,  or,  at  least,  touching  some 
grave  public  affair !  Since,  however,  you  propose  con- 
verting my  palace  into  a  meglis  (council-room)  for  petty 
personal  affairs,  more  fit  for  my  minister  of  correctional 
police  than  for  you  or  I !  we  had  much  better  conduct 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  193 

our  discussion  alone  !  Mahmoud  Bey !  and  you  Hus- 
sein Pasha,  our  minister  of  foreign  affairs,  together  with 
Zacchi  Bey,  our  chief  interpreter,  remain — the  rest  may 
retire ! ' ' 

His  commands  were  promptly  obeyed.  Then  turning 
to  the  consul-general,  who  smoked  his  chibouque  gravely 
and  placidly  in  the  interval,  he  said: 

' '  Now,  I  am  ready  to  hear  your  complaint.  My  ears 
are  open." 

"Highness!  I  repeat  what  I  have  already  said,  and 
ask  of  you  an  order  to  Elfy  Bey,  Governor  of  Cairo,  and 
commanding  at  the  citadel,  for  the  release  of  my/w/^/, 
Askaros  Kassis,  and  the  punishment  of  those  who  have 
dared  seize  on  and  imprison  him  by  violence." 

' '  You  talk  strange  things, ' '  said  Abbas,  coldly.  ' '  How 
know  you,  in  the  first  place,  that  the  man  of  whom  you 
speak,  and  whom  you  claim  as  &  prottge,  is  a  prisoner  at 
the  place  you  mention?  Have  you  any  proof,  or  is  it 
mere  suspicion?" 

"Highness!  I  assert  only  what  I  know,  and  can 
prove.  The  proof  I  can  produce,  if  necessary,  as  your 
Highness,  as  I  supposed,  seems  ignorant  of  this  outrage." 

"How  and  when  was  the  man  imprisoned?" 

"Highness!  he  was  seized  by  treachery,  in  the  night- 
time, at  his  own  gate,  by  the  servants  of  Elfy  Bey,  taken 
thence,  and  secretly  immured  in  the  dungeons  of  the 
citadel." 

"How  know  you  this,  if,  as  you  say,  the  thing  was 
done  secretly?" 

"Highness!  it  is  enough  to  say  I  know  it,  and  can 
prove  it." 

"Doubtless,  enough  to  satisfy  myself;  but  I  must  have 
positive  proof  before  taking  steps  against  one  of  the  most 
17  N 


194  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

faithful  of  my  servants ;  for  such  is  Elfy  Bey,  Governor 
of  Cairo." 

"Know  then,  Highness!  that  when  the  capture  was 
effected,  the  Nubian  slave  of  Askaros,  Ferraj  by  name, 
concealed  by  the  shadow  of  the  wall,  witnessed  the  act, 
and,  following  on  the  track  of  the  captors,  recognized 
the  face  of  the  captain  of  the  guard  of  Elfy  Bey.  Fur- 
thermore, he  followed  them  until  they  entered  the  gates 
of  the  citadel  with  their  prisoner,  and  the  gates  were 
closed  upon  them.  Then  he  came  to  me,  three  days 
since,  and  revealed  what  he  had  seen  and  knew." 

The  lip  of  the  Viceroy  curled  with  a  contemptuous 
smile,  as  he  replied  : 

' '  Thou  art  yet  new  in  this  country,  O  Elchee  !  (am  - 
bassador  !)  and  knowest  not  how  these  slaves  will  lie. 
Thinkest  thou  I  would  weigh,  for  an  instant,  the  oath  of 
a  wretched  Nubian  slave  against  the  word  of  the  Gov- 
ernor of  Cairo,  should  he,  as  is  most  probable,  deny  the 
truth  of  this  wild  story  ? ' ' 

"  Highness !  there  is  yet  further  proof;  for  the  faithful 
Nubian  lurked  under  the  wall  of  the  citadel,  made  the 
cry  of  a  bird,  which  his  master  knew,  and  shortly  after- 
ward there  fell  a  scroll,  written  in  his  blood  on  a  piece 
of  linen,  and  tied  to  a  stone,  which  the  father  of  Askaros 
declares  to  be  the  writing  of  his  son.  Highness  !  behold 
the  scroll." 

He  unrolled  a  small  parcel,  which  he  took  from  his 
pocket,  containing  a  piece  of  linen,  on  which  was  traced 
in  red  letters  with  some  sharp  instrument,  in  Arabic 
characters,  the  words,  "I  am  imprisoned  in  the  citadel," 
with  the  signature  of  his  signet-ring  stamped  upon  it  on 
black  wax,  in  Egyptian  fashion. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  195 

"Highness!  does  that  satisfy  you  that  the  Nubian 
spoke  truly?" 

For  a  few  moments  Abbas  did  not  reply,  revolving  in 
his  subtle  mind  how  to  meet  this  unexpected  difficulty, 
which  frustrated  all  his  plans.  He  glanced  from  under 
his  bushy  eyebrows  at  the  face  of  the  consul-general, 
which  was  still  as  serene  and  calm  as  when  he  had 
entered  —  not  a  sign  of  impatience  or  irritation  visible 
upon  it  —  and  adopted  his  line  of  policy. 

"  Thou  art  newly  arrived  in  this  country,  O  Elchee  !  " 
he  said,  "and  hast  no  conception  of  the  trickery  and 
frauds  perpetrated  under  the  shields  of  consuls  here  by 
designing  knaves  who  win  their  confidence,  and  seek 
their  protection  to  defeat  the  ends  of  justice.  I  know 
the  family  of  this  man  Askaros  well ;  and  they  are  among 
the  most  cunning  and  disreputable  of  that  most  knavish 
people,  the  Copts  —  who  are  neither  Mussulman,  Jew, 
nor  Christian — but  a  compound  of  the  worst  qualities  of 
all.  Both  he  and  his  father  were  born  my  subjects,  and 
still  are  so,  and  have  many  matters  unadjusted  with  my 
government.  It  is  doubtless  to  avoid  the  detection  of 
his  villanies,  or  the  punishment  of  his  crimes,  that  this 
man  hath  sought  the  puissant  protection  of  thy  consulate- 
general.  It  may  be  that  Elfy  Bey,  not  knowing  thy 
claim  to  him,  to  avoid  scandal,  arrested  him  in  this  quiet 
way,  without  meaning  any  disrespect  to  thee  or  the  great 
nation  of  which  thou  art  the  honored  representative. 
Therefore,  even  if  all  thou  tellest  me  be  true,  had  we  not 
better  arrange  it  amicably  ? 

"Come,"  he  added,  laying  his  hand  familiarly  on 
the  consul-general's  knee,  like  one  asking  a  favor. 
"Let  justice  take  its  course  with  this  man,  who  is  un- 
worthy of  thy  protection,  and  who  really  is  not  entitled 


196  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

to  it  under  our  laws,  since  at  the  time  he  applied  for  it 
he  had  still  unsettled  affairs  with  the  Egyptian  govern- 
ment. Take  no  further  notice  of,  or  trouble  about  this 
thing,  and  there  is  no  request  thou  canst  make  of  Abbas 
Pasha  for  thyself  or  friends — no  valuable  concession  of 
privileges  thou  canst  ask,  which  shall  not  be  granted  — 
and  thy  influence  and  power  in  Egypt  shall  be  second 
only  to  my  own.  Shouldst  thou  wish  to  make  proteges 
of  fifty  other  Copts,  do  so,  and  no  complaint  shall  be 
made.  But  this  one  I  cannot  give  you.  Reasons  of 
State,  as  well  as  private  ones,  forbid  it.  And  if  thou 
shouldst  persist  in  pressing  this  matter,  we  might  cease 
to  be  friends  !  Is  it  agreed,  O  Elchee?" 

The  consul-general  to  whom  this  tempting  offer  was 
made — the  value  of  which  he  well  knew — did  not  pause 
for  a  moment's  reflection,  but  answered  as  soon  as  the 
Viceroy  had  ceased  speaking. 

"  Highness  !  had  you  known  me  longer  you  would  not 
have  made  such  an  offer  to  me,  which,  under  the  guise 
of  a  compliment,  conceals  an  insult.  You  may  be  able 
to  buy  your  slaves  for  house  or  harem  here,  but  you 
cannot  purchase  me,  neither  by  flattery  nor  by  appeals 
to  avarice.  I  only  ask  my  rights.  More,  I  do  not 
claim  —  less,  I  will  not  accept.  It  is  for  you  to  decide 
whether  you  will  give  me  these,  and  we  remain  friends, 
or  refuse  them,  and  compel  me  to  act  in  a  way  that  will 
displease  you." 

From  under  the  contracted  brows  of  Abbas  there 
gleamed  a  glance  of  mortal  hate  upon  the  bold  repre- 
sentative of  the  infidel,  who  thus  bearded  him  in  his  own 
stronghold,  and  disdainfully  rejected  equally  his  prof- 
fered friendship  and  his  favors.  Had  he  dared,  he 
would  have  summoned  his  guards,  and  ordered  the  im- 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  197 

mediate  punishment  of  his  insulter.  He  half  rose  from 
his  divan,  the  fingers  of  his  right  hand  convulsively 
clutching  at  the  hilt  of  the  jewelled  dagger  he  wore  in  his 
breast,  as  though  to  strike  him  dead.  But  the  next 
instant  his  mood  seemed  to  change.  He  threw  himself 
back  on  the  cushions  of  the  divan,  with  an  expression  of 
utter  weariness  in  face  and  form,  and  drawled  out  to  his 
interpreter  in  a  languid  voice  : 

"  Tell  him  I  am  weary  of  all  this  talk.  If  he  wants  to 
discuss  such  trivial  matters  as  this  about  a  wretched 
Copt,  let  him  go  to  my  ministry  of  foreign  affairs.  Let 
him  go  now,  for  I  am  weary." 

And  raising  his  hand,  as  though  to  brush  away  some 
intrusive  insect,  he  sunk  back  on  his  divan,  as  though 
giving  congt,  and  finishing  the  audience. 

The  consul-general  did  not  understand  Turkish ;  but 
the  manner  and  gesture  of  Abbas  were  too  significant  to 
be  misunderstood.  He  saw  they  meant  insult.  Rising 
suddenly  from  his  seat  before  the  interpreter  could 
render  the  words,  he  flung  down  the  chibouque  he  held 
in  his  hand,  which  fell  against  the  divan,  almost  striking 
the  Viceroy  —  and  confronted  Abbas  with  folded  arms 
and  knitted  brow  —  indignation  and  scorn  written  on 
every  feature  of  his  usually  composed  and  smiling 
countenance. 

"Tell  your  master,"  he  said,  sternly,  to  the  inter- 
preter, "  that  he  forgets  he  is  not  speaking  to  one  of  his 
slaves,  but  to  his  equal — who  represents  a  country  to 
which  Egypt  is  but  a  petty  province,  against  which, 
should  he  provoke  its  anger,  he  is  more  powerless  than 
the  meanest  of  his  subjects  before  him.  I  shall  not 
remain  here  to  be  insulted,  but  demand  immediate  satis- 
faction here  and  now,  before  I  go." 
17* 


198  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

" Enta  magnoon?"  (is  he  mad?)  asked  Abbas, 
fiercely,  roused  from  his  assumed  apathy  into  mingled 
astonishment  and  rage  at  the  unexpected  demonstration 
of  the  consul-general,  whose  attitude  and  looks  ex- 
plained the  purport  of  his  words.  ' '  What  does  the 
madman  say  ? ' ' 

"  Effendina  !  "  said  the  terrified  and  cowering  inter- 
preter—  abject  fear  stamped  on  his  face,  and  trembling 
from  head  to  foot —  "  I  dare  not  repeat  his  words,  which 
are  unfit  for  your  highness  to  hear  !  " 

"Ass!  and  son  of  a  line  of  asses!  Repeat  them  to 
me  instantly,"  growled  Abbas,  "  or  I  shall  take  a  way  of 
finding  thy  tongue,  which  shall  never  after  utter  words 
again. ' ' 

Thus  reassured,  the  shrinking  interpreter  explained 
the  purport  of  the  consul-general's  speech,  as  mildly  as 
he  might,  softening  down  the  offensive  expressions. 

"False  dog!"  said  Abbas;  "  I  know  that  he  said 
more  and  worse  than  thou  hast  told  me  !  But  it  matters 
not.  I  know  his  meaning.  Tell  him  there  has  been 
some  mistake.  Ask  him  to  sit  down  again,  and  take  his 
chibouque,  and  we  can  explain  it." 

The  consul-general,  still  standing  in  the  same  attitude, 
replied,  coldly : 

"Tell  the  Viceroy  the  mistake,  then,  is  on  his  part, 
not  on  mine.  I  will  neither  sit  nor  smoke  with  him,  un- 
til he  assures  me  he  meant  no  insult,  by  manner,  gesture, 
and  speech,  which  seemed  to  imply  it." 

' '  Bakaloum! ' '  answered  Abbas,  impressed  by  the  res- 
olute bearing  of  his  guest,  which  had  greatly  disquieted 
him,  and  excited  a  vague  fear  in  his  breast. 

"Tell  him  I  was  seized  with  a  sudden  return  of  my 
illness,  and  that  what  he  mistook  for  discourtesy  was  the 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  199 

effect  of  a  severe  spasm  of  pain.  In  Allah's  name  !  tell 
him  not  to  stand  there  all  day  like  a  Fakeer  on  penance  ; 
but  to  sit  down  again  like  a  reasonable  being  ! ' ' 

The  consul-general,  accepting  the  apology,  resumed 
his  seat  and  his  chibouque,  then  said: 

"Highness!  it  grieves  me  much  that  this  unpleasant 
mistake  should  have  occurred,  which  I  shall  forget  at  once 
—  trusting  you  also  may  do  the  same.  But,  disagreeable 
as  my  duty  may  be,  I  must  perform  it,  and  request  an 
immediate  investigation  into  the  affair  of  which  I  spoke 
to  you." 

' '  Do  you  know, ' '  said  the  Viceroy,  ' '  that  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  man  you  speak  of,  was  never  confirmed  by 
my  Government,  and  is  therefore  invalid  ?  ' ' 

"  Highness,  I  do  not  deny  that  question  is  still  in  con- 
troversy ;  but  pending  its  settlement,  I  must  insist  on  the 
man's  liberation.  Show  me  good  reason  for  not  retain- 
ing him  in  the  position,  and  I  shall  not  insist  upon  it ; 
but  it  is  an  insult  to  my  authority  to  imprison  him  thus, 
and  at  this  time." 

"Peki!"  (so  let  it  be,)  said  Abbas;  "I  have  no 
reason  to  refuse  your  request.  If,  as  you  say,  the  man 
has  really  been  seized,  through  the  officious  zeal  of  the 
Governor,  who,  for  aught  I  know,  may  have  some  other 
charges  against  him,  we  will  not  quarrel  over  so  wretch- 
ed a  creature.  He  is  not  worthy  of  it.  He  shall  be 
liberated  —  if  now  in  prison — to  await  the  examination 
of  his  claim  for  protection,  already  instituted.  In  the 
meantime,  I  must  ask  the  favor  of  you,  not  to  employ 
him  actively  in  your  business  with  my  Government." 

' '  Highness,  your  wishes  shall  be  complied  with.  May 
I  ask,  to  avoid  further  misapprehension,  that  your  High- 
ness may  cause  to  be  prepared  and  given  to  me  the  formal 


2OO  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

order  for  his  liberation,  addressed  to  the  Governor  of 
Cairo?" 

Abbas  frowned  darkly,  and  his  swarthy  face  grew 
suddenly  red,  for  he  saw  the  distrust  implied  in  the  re- 
quest. But  he  only  spoke  a  few  words  to  the  interpreter, 
who  retired,  returning  a  few  moments  afterward  with  a 
written  slip  of  paper,  to  which  the  Viceroy  affixed  his 
seal  with  his  signet-ring. 

"If  it  be  as  thou  sayest, ' '  he  said  to  the  consul-gen- 
eral, as  he  handed  the  paper  to  him,  "this  order  will 
liberate  the  man,  on  whatever  charge  he  may  have  been 
arrested.  But  recollect  thy  promise  concerning  him,  for 
the  matter  is  one  which  touches  the  dignity  of  my  Gov- 
ernment, as  well  as  thine.  Let  us  now  converse  on  other 
and  less  disagreeable  subjects." 

Smoothing  his  brow  with  ready  dissimulation,  and  mak- 
ing himself  as  agreeable  as  possible,  the  Viceroy  then 
passed  to  other  topics,  confiding  many  apparent  secrets 
to  his  guest,  as  though  to  a  trusted  friend,  dismissing  him 
with  almost  affectionate  fervor. 

No  sooner  had  he  left,  however,  than  a  trusty  messen- 
ger was  dispatched  on  a  fleet  horse  with  a  message  to 
Elfy  Bey,  immediately  to  liberate  the  prisoner  before  the 
formal  order  came,  and  to  degrade  the  captain  of  the 
guard  who  had  seized  him,  explaining  to  Askaros  that 
the  arrest  had  been  made  without  the  knowledge  or  order 
of  the  Governor.  The  disgraced  captain  was  to  be  sent 
to  a  post  on  the  Upper  Nile,  and  bribed  to  silence  by 
a  good  backschisch. 

"That  son  of  Sheitan,"  said  Abbas,  with  a  fearful 
malediction  launched  after  the  departing  consul-general, 
"seems  born  to  be  my  plague;  and  his  Government  is 
too  strong  to  quarrel  with,  if  I  would  secure  the  succes- 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  2OI 

sion  to  my  son  El  Hami.  But  what  fools  these  Franks 
are  !  I  would  have  made  his  fortune,  and  he  throws  it 
away,  out  of  pure  vanity.  I  wish  I  could  venture  to  give 
him  a  cup  of  coffee — for  I  hate  him  worse  than  any  of 
his  infidel  brethren,  who  will  roast  in  Gehenna.  But  I 
am  wearied,  and  must  seek  solace  and  sympathy,  where 
alone  on  this  earth  I  can  find  it." 

He  rose,  and  passing  through  several  suites  of  apart- 
ments, reached  at  last  a  door,  before  which  was  seated 
the  Kislar  Aga,  or  head  eunuch,  a  grisly  black,  magnifi- 
cently attired,  his  dress  glittering  with  gold  embroidery 
and  precious  stones.  He  was  armed  with  a  crooked  Da- 
mascus scimitar,  the  hilt  of  unicorn's  horn,  encrusted 
with  precious  stones,  the  scabbard  of  silver  washed  with 
gold.  The  guardian  of  the  harem  rose,  with  a  profound 
reverence,  at  the  approach  of  his  master,  in  whose  pres- 
ence alone  he  stood  up,  ranking  all  the  other  function- 
aries of  the  palace,  and  prostrated  himself  at  his  feet. 

The  Viceroy  permitted  him  to  kiss  the  hem  of  his  robe, 
and,  leaving  him  groveling  on  the  floor,  entered  the 
harem,  where  he  found  her  whom  he  sought.  It  was 
no  young  and  lovely  Georgian  or  Circassian,  with  skin  of 
snow,  auburn  hair,  eyes  of  azure,  and  form  of  volup- 
tuous mould ;  nor  the  more  dusky  beauty  of  Egypt,  with 
its  supple  graces  of  form,  eyes  of  gazelle,  hair  of  night, 
and  teeth  of  pearl,  that  rose  to  greet  and  meet  the  cruel 
and  jaded  voluptuary,  as  he  entered  those  sacred  pre- 
cincts. 

It  was  an  aged  woman,  brown,  wrinkled,  withered,  hag- 
like,  with  bowed  and  stooping  form,  tottering  as  she  shuf- 
fled toward  him,  her  worn  face  lighting  up  with  pleasure 
as  her  bleared  vision  recognized  him. 

Between  the  pair  there  might  be  detected  enough  re- 


2O2  A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS. 

semblance  to  show  that  they  were  of  the  same  blood : 
and  the  face  of  the  man  softened  into  human  sympathy, 
even  into  fondness,  as  he  said : 

"I  trust  thou  art  in  health,  and  happy,  O  my  mother ! 
for  thy  son  hath  come  to  pass  in  the  light  of  thy  presence 
a  few  hours — the  happiest  he  knows — his  only  relief 
from  his  many  cares  and  troubles." 

"  Bismillah!  (God  be  praised)  I  am  well  in  health,  my 
son,  and  thy  coming  is  as  sunshine  to  my  old  heart !  O 
my  best  beloved  !  Come  !  I  have  prepared  thy  food, 
and  thou  must  eat,  and  I  will  listen  to  all  thou  hast  to 
tell." 

She  clapped  her  hands,  and  slaves  entered,  who  ar- 
ranged upon  a  table  the  repast,  of  which  Abbas  vora- 
ciously partook,  for  so  suspicious  was  he  of  poison,  that 
he  ate  nothing  which  was  not  prepared  by  those  withered 
hands,  or  under  her  eye,  habitually,  whenever  at  the 
same  palace  with  her. 

To  his  jaded  senses  and  ulcerated  soul,  the  love  of 
woman  or  the  friendship  of  man,  now  appealed  in  vain. 
Even  the  most  revolting  vices  —  fouler  than  those  prac- 
tised at  Caprera  by  the  tyrant  Tiberius  —  palled  upon  his 
debauched  appetite. 

His  son  appealed  only  to  his  ambition,  as  continuing 
his  line,  and  perpetuating  the  power  and  the  wealth  he 
had  ceased  to  enjoy.  But  the  sentiment  of  affection  for 
his  mother  was  the  sole  green  oasis  left  in  the  arid  desert 
of  his  soul — the  small  remaining  link  which  bound  him 
still  to  humanity,  and  proved  him  not  utterly  a  monster. 
In  her  society  he  forgot  his  cares  and  the  disgusts  of  the 
day,  and  when,  replete  with  food,  after  a  long  confiden- 
tial conversation,  he  fell  into  a  heavy  slumber  on  the 
divan,  his  mother  sitting  by  to  watch  his  repose,  his  face 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  2O3 

seemed  to  have  regained  the  freshness  and  frankness  of 
his  early  youth  before  unrestrained  passions  and  unlimited 
power  had  erased  from  it  the  signs  that  this  man  too, 
tyrant,  debauchee,  human-tiger  as  he  had  become,  had 
been  created  like  all  men,  by  God,  "in  His  own  image." 
Let  us  drop  the  curtain  over  a  scene  too  sacred  for  in- 
trusion, which  displays  the  only  redeeming  trait  of  one, 
whose  life,  otherwise,  seemed  all  evil,  and  whose  death 
a  judgment  for  sins,  against  which  both  earth  and  heaven 
cried  aloud. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE   WARNING   AND   THE   FLIGHT. 

TO  his  infinite  surprise,  on  the  day  that  witnessed  the 
interview  between  the  Viceroy  and  consul-general, 
Askaros  was  summoned  from  his  prison  to  the  presence 
of  Elfy  Bey,  the  governor,  who  received  him  with  cordi- 
ality, even  with  kindness,  and  insisted  on  his  seating  him- 
self on  the  divan  beside  him,  to  partake  of  pipes  and 
coffee. 

He  then  proceeded  to  apologize  to  his  bewildered 
prisoner,  expressing  the  great  regret  he  experienced  at 
the  blunder  his  stupid  servants  had  made  in  arresting 
Askaros,  mistaking  him  for  a  totally  different  person, 
whom  they  had  been  sent  to  apprehend,  which  error  he 
himself  had  just  discovered.  Glancing  at  the  common 
soiled  and  torn  dress  which  the  young  man  still  wore,  he 
accounted  for  the  mistake  by  that  masquerade,  and  an- 
nounced to  the  astonished  captive  that  he  was  at  liberty. 
He  also  kindly  tendered  him  a  change  of  raiment  and  a 
horse  to  ride,  that  he  might  return  home  in  proper  dress 
and  style. 

The  governor  then  summoned  the  captain  of  the  guard, 
and  went  through  the  farce  of  degrading  and  dismissing 
him,  as  pre-arranged  by  the  Viceroy. 

204 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  20$ 

The  late  prisoner  and  present  guest  of  the  governor  had 
to  reassure  himself  he  was  not  dreaming,  when,  bathed, 
well  dressed,  and  refreshed,  mounted  on  a  charger  of 
Elfy  Bey's,  he  sallied  out  of  the  citadel  gates,  by  rubbing 
his  eyes  and  pinching  his  own  flesh,  to  convince  himself 
of  the  waking  reality.  An  upward  glance  at  the  frowning 
walls  of  the  citadel,  whence  Emin  Bey  took  his  headlong 
leap  on  horseback,  on  the  night  of  the  slaughter  of  his 
Mamelook  brethren  by  Mehemet  AH,  reassured  him ;  and 
he  turned  his  head  toward  home  with  that  rejoicing  feel- 
ing of  renewed  liberty,  only  felt  by  a  newly-freed  prisoner, 
or  one  who  has  just  risen  from  a  bed  of  long  illness. 

He  was  more  mystified  than  ever,  for  it  was  now  evi- 
dent that  they  were  not  the  emissaries  of  the  princess 
who  had  ensnared  him ;  nor  could  he  comprehend  why, 
when  once  safely  under  the  tiger-claws  of  Abbas  in  the 
citadel,  he  should  have  been  so  mysteriously  set  free. 
He  knew  too  well  the  country  and  its  ways  to  believe  for 
an  instant  the  truth  of  the  governor's  statement:  but  was 
all  in  the  dark  as  to  the  real  solution  of  the  puzzle. 

As  he  was  revolving  these  things  in  his  mind,  allowing 
the  horse's  rein  to  drop  loosely  on  his  neck,  as  he  walked 
along  slowly,  picking  his  way  through  the  crowded  street 
of  the  Mooskie,  he  felt  some  one  pluck  at  his  sleeve, 
and  looking  down,  saw  a  vailed  woman,  enveloped  in  a 
silk  cloak,  who  motioned  him,  with  an  imperious  gesture, 
to  pass  under  a  porch,  where  the  street  was  less  crowded, 
she  turning  to  that  spot  and  awaiting  his  coming. 

Instinctively  he  obeyed  the  summons,  and  soon  his 
horse  stood  by  the  side  of  the  shrouded  figure,  and  lift- 
ing the  vail,  she  disclosed  the  familiar  face  of  the  old 
Frenchwoman,  dropping  it  immediately  again  after  re- 
vealing herself. 
18 


2O6  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

She  clutched  his  arm  so  hard  again  that  he  writhed 
with  pain  —  for  it  was  his  wounded  arm  she  grasped  — 
and  hissed  out  in  low  but  distinct  accents : 

"I  know  all  that  has  happened  to  you  —  more  than 
you  know  yourself —  and  so  does  the  Khanum. 

"You  have  provoked  the  wrath  of  the  tiger  and  the 
tigress,  and  have  just  escaped  the  jaws  of  one  to  fall 
under  the  claws  of  the  other. 

"  Return  not  to  your  home,  for  her  emissaries  will  soon 
be  on  your  track,  and  dog  your  steps,  until  in  some  mo- 
ment of  imprudence  you  will  be  seized  or  assassinated. 
Neither  will  the  tiger  fail  to  spring  again,  though  now  he 
is  compelled  to  crouch  by  a  hand  stronger  than  his  own. 

"  Be  warned  in  time,  and  fly  —  now,  on  the  moment  — 
for  every  hour's  delay  brings  you  nearer  your  doom." 

"  But,"  said  the  young  man,  bewildered  by  this  warn- 
ing, and  the  knowledge  she  seemed  to  have  of  his  affairs, 
"how  have  I  been  freed?  and  where  can  I  fly?  Why 
should  I  skulk  away  like  a  felon,  when  I  have  committed 
no  crime  ? ' ' 

"  You  ask  as  many  questions  as  a  woman,"  she  replied, 
impatiently,  "and  you  will  talk  while  you  should  be 
acting.  Your  liberation  is  due  to  the  consul-general, 
who  was  notified  of  your  seizure  and  place  of  confine- 
ment by  your  faithful  Nubian  Ferraj.  His  arm  is  strong, 
but  it  is  not  so  long  as  that  of  Abbas,  nor  can  reach  so 
far.  You  should  fly,  because  danger  and  death  dog 
your  steps  from  one  against  whom  you  have  committed 
a  crime  she  never  pardons. 

"Where  should  you  fly?  Over  the  desert  to  Syria, 
where  the  arm  of  Abbas,  long  as  it  is,  cannot  reach  you, 
nor  even  that  of  the  great  lady.  From  thence  the  whole 
world  is  open  to  you,  and  you  may  make  terms  soon  to 


A  SKA  If  OS    JfASSIS.  2O/ 

return.  For  I  know  one  of  your  enemies  is  falling  into 
disgrace,  and  will  soon  be  banished  from  this  country." 

"You  are  sure  you  do  not  deceive  me?"  asked  the 
young  man. 

"Why  should  I?"  responded  she,  laughing  scorn- 
fully. "Ask,  rather,  why  I  trouble  myself,  and  take 
the  risk  of  provoking  the  wrath  of  the  great,  for  the 
safety  of  thy  baby  face,  and  I  will  tell  thee.  It  is  not  so 
much  through  love  for  you  —  although  I  owe  a  debt  of 
gratitude  to  all  your  house — as  for  the  sake  of  my  lamb, 
El  Warda,  whom  I  love  as  a  daughter,  having  none  left 
of  my  own,  whose  foolish  heart  would  break  if  aught  of 
evil  befell  you.  Stay  to  ask  no  further  questions,  but 
hurry  on  to  the  gate  of  Bab-el-Nazr,  which  leads  to  the 
desert.  There  secrete  thyself  until  Ferraj  comes  with 
thine  own  Arab  horse,  Selim,  and  provisions  for  the 
journey.  If  thou  wilt  do  so,  give  me  a  word  for  El 
Warda,  that  she  may  be  sure  of  thy  safety,  and  send 
Ferraj  to  thee." 

Askaros  felt  there  was  too  much  force  in  what  the 
woman  said,  to  neglect  the  warning. 

He  was  satisfied  by  her  look  and  manner  that  she  was 
sincere,  and  felt  the  weight  of  her  advice.  He  therefore 
took  off  one  of  his  rings,  and  gave  it  to  the  French- 
woman, in  lieu  of  a  letter,  which  he  had  no  materials  to 
write,  which  would  serve  as  a  sign  to  his  father  and  sister 
that  the  woman  came  from  him. 

She  seized  upon  it,  made  him  a  hurried  gesture  of 
farewell,  and  disappeared  in  the  crowd. 

Half  doubting  the  wisdom  of  having  so  implicitly 
relied  upon  a  woman  whose  character  he  knew  to  be 
worse  than  equivocal,  Askaros,  however,  deemed  it  best 
to  proceed  on  the  path  he  had  agreed  to  take. 


208  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

He  turned  his  horse's  head  toward  Bab-el-Nazr,  which 
he  reached  in  safety;  and  looking  out,  saw  the  low, 
black  tents  of  the  Bedouins,  with  many  camels  and 
horses  grouped  around  them,  still  dotting  the  edge  of 
the  desert.  The  thought  flashed  upon  him  that  there 
might  be  his  refuge  until  Ferraj  came ;  so  he  rode  up, 
passing,  not  without  a  shudder,  the  spot  now  marked  by 
the  bleaching  bones  of  several  of  his  assailants,  where 
the  wild  dogs  had  well-nigh  made  him  their  prey. 

Dismounting,  he  was  hospitably  received  by  the  Sheik 
at  the  door  of  his  tent,  who  gave  him  welcome,  and  after 
partaking  of  his  hospitality,  asked  shelter  and  counsel. 
The  Sheik  listened  in  silence  to  the  young  man's  expla- 
nation of  his  peril  and  meditated  flight,  and  then  replied : 

"  Thou  hast  shared  the  bread  and  the  salt  of  the  sons 
of  Beni-Hassan,  and  thou  art  as  safe  beneath  their  tents, 
even  from  the  search  of  the  Grand  Padishah,  (Sultan,) 
himself,  as  though  thou  wert,  even  now,  sitting  under 
the  tents  of  Abou-Gosh,  King  of  Syria,  the  Great  Sheik 
of  all  the  children  of  Beni-Hassan,  who  own  no  other 
lord. 

"Rest  there,  and  I  will  send  one  of  my  people  to 
watch  at  the  Bab-el-Nazr  for  the  Nubian  on  the  white 
horse,  and  to  bring  him  hither.  Mashallah !  I  have 
said  it!" 

The  Sheik  then  informed  Askaros  that  he  and  his  tribe 
proposed  striking  their  tents  the  ensuing  day ;  but  as 
their  caravan,  with  its  laden  camels,  would  travel  but 
slowly,  and  as  he  was  in  haste  to  escape  over  the  border 
into  Syria,  out  of  the  jurisdiction  of  Abbas  Pasha,  he 
advised  him  to  start  without  delay,  and  await  the  arrival 
of  the  caravan  on  the  other  side.  He  offered  to  send  a 


A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS.  209 

Bedouin  guide  with  him,  who  knew  the  whole  route,  and 
where  to  rejoin  them. 

These  arrangements  having  been  understood,  Askaros 
awaited  anxiously  the  arrival  of  Ferraj,  entertained  in 
the  interval  by  his  host  with  strange  experiences  of  the 
desert,  on  which  his  life  had  been  chiefly  spent,  and 
which  he  seemed  to  love,  as  the  sailor  loves  the  sea. 

The  Nubian  at  length  arrived,  and  testified  his  joy  in 
a  lively  manner  at  once  again  beholding  his  master  — 
kissing  the  hem  of  his  garments  and  his  hand,  and  show- 
ing the  same  devoted  affection  a  spaniel  might  have 
done.  To  his  surprise,  his  master  saw  he  had  not  only 
brought  the  white  horse,  Selim,  but  another,  also,  and 
that  each  had  a  bag  strapped  upon  his  back. 

"How  is  this,  Ferraj?"  he  asked;  "do  you  suppose 
I  will  take  a  baggage-horse  with  me  on  such  a  journey, 
like  a  woman  on  her  wedding,  procession  ?" 

"  Moosh  waked,  etnain"  (not  one,  but  two,)  answered 
Ferraj,  pointing  first  to  his  master  and  then  to  himself. 
"  Ana  ra  /"  (I  go,  too  !) 

"Impossible!"  said  Askaros;  but  relenting,  as  he 
saw  the  big  tears  start  into  the  eyes  of  the  faithful  slave, 
he  added  ! 

"  Well,  as  you  will !  But  this  horse  of  the  Governor's 
must  be  returned  to  him.  I  will  ask  the  Sheik  to  send 
him  back  for  me." 

What  was  the  surprise  of  Askaros  at  finding  the  Sheik 
unwilling  to  do  so. 

"The  horse  is  a  good  horse  !  "  he  said,  sententiously, 
scanning  his  points  with  the  eye  of  a  connoisseur,  "and 
my  brother  has  got  him  now  where  his  former  owner 
can  never  reclaim  him.  Why  should  he  not  keep  him?  " 

The  young  man  was  surprised  at  this  strange  notion  of 
18*  O 


2IO  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

honesty,  among  a  people  so  punctilious  in  other  things, 
not  knowing  at  the  time,  that  the  theft  of  an  Arab  horse 
is  considered  as  great  a  feat  among  the  children  of  the 
desert  as  any  warlike  exploit,  and  fully  as  much  courage 
and  cunning  displayed  in  the  one  case  as  in  the  other, 
the  renown  of  success  being  commensurate. 

He  evidently  lowered  himself  in  the  Sheik's  good 
opinion  by  insisting  on  the  restoration  of  the  Governor's 
property,  which  was  finally  led  away  for  the  purpose, 
after  an  animated  discussion. 

But  at  a  later  period,  in  Syria,  Askaros  saw  the  Sheik 
riding  an  animal  very  like  him,  only  with  closely  cropped 
mane  and  tail,  and  did  not  venture  to  ask  any  impert- 
inent questions  of  the  Sheik  as  to  its  identity.  Neither 
did  he  ever  see  Elfy  Bey  again,  to  learn  of  him  whether 
his  steed  had  been  returned,  and  afterward  stolen  by 
those  adroit  robbers,  as  was  more  than  probable,  in  con- 
sonance with  Bedouin  etiquette  in  such  cases. 

That  night  Askaros  and  his  two  attendants  rode  away 
from  the  hospitable  tents  of  the  Beni-Hassan,  and  plunged 
into  the  trackless  waste  of  the  desert,  to  seek  the  safer 
refuge  of  the  Holy  Land. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE   OLD    COPT'S    SIESTA. 

WHEN  the  old  Frenchwoman  performed  her  mis- 
sion, and  announced  to  El  Warda  the  peril  of 
him  who  was  at  once  her  brother,  and  more  than  brother, 
the  conflict  in  the  girl's  soul  was  very  great.  Rejected 
affection,  wounded  pride,  keen  jealousy,  strong  passion, 
and  a  sense  of  having  been  made  a  dupe  by  the  artful 
princess  —  all  struggled  for  mastery  in  her  young  soul, 
and  converted  her  at  once  from  a  child  into  a  woman. 

She  immediately  sought  the  old  man,  and  explained  to 
him,  in  general  terms,  the  peril  of  his  son,  without 
entering  into  all  the  particulars  revealed  to  her  by  the 
Frenchwoman,  suppressing  also  the  real  cause  of  the 
wrath  of  Nezle  Khanum,  as  to  which  she  had  been  bound 
to  secrecy. 

The  old  Askaros,  who  looked  worn  and  haggard,  and 
on  whom  his  late  apprehensions  and  troubles  had  wrought 
strongly,  making  him  appear  far  more  aged  and  feeble 
than  before,  listened  in  silence  to  her  story,  and  signified 
his  assent  to  his  son's  flight,  a  gleam  of  pleasure  lighting 
up  his  face,  when  Ferraj  declared  his  intention  of  accom- 
panying his  master. 

211 


212  ASKAROS    K ASS  IS. 

He  took  the  young  girl's  head  between  his  withered 
hands,  and  stroked  down  the  rich  curls  of  her  raven  hair, 
gazing  fondly  and  wistfully  into  her  face. 

"  Thou  wast  my  comfort  and  consolation,"  he  said, 
"  when  my  son  left  me  once  before,  and  I  know  thou  wilt 
be  so  again.  I  feel  very  sad  this  evening,  and  a  pre- 
sentiment of  evil  weighs  heavily  on  my  spirit.  Thou 
knowest  I  received  another  and  more  pressing  summons 
from  the  Grand  Meglis  to-day,  and  have  had  besides  a 
secret  message  from  Zotilfikar  Pasha,  that  they  rely  on  the 
testimony  of  my  former  Wakeel,  Daoud-ben-Youssouf,  to 
prove  me  a  large  defaulter  to  the  Government.  If  that 
young  man  prove  false,  then  am  I  lost  indeed.  And  my 
son  is  not  here  to  protect  me !  "  cried  the  old  man,  with 
a  sudden  burst  of  anguish.  "O  Sitta  Mariam  (Virgin 
Mary,)  have  mercy  upon  me,  a  sinner  !  and  make  me 
not  desolate  in  mine  old  age,  like  Job  !  " 

Touched  and  afflicted  by  this  burst  of  passion  from  one 
habitually  so  calm  and  self -composed,  the  young  girl 
knelt  at  his  feet,  and  by  a  thousand  little  endearments 
sought  to  console  him.  She  partially  succeeded,  for  he 
grew  more  calm,  and  an  air  of  resignation  settled  down 
over  his  features,  as  he  looked  tenderly  down  upon  her. 

"  Oh,  my  dove  !  my  sweet  child  !  aptly  named  'the 
rose,'  how  does  thy  love  bring  balm  to  this  sore-stricken 
heart  ?  Yet  another  terror  assails  me  !  Moussa  -  ben  - 
Israel  is  wise  beyond  most  of  the  children  of  men,  and 
seldom  have  I  known  his  judgment  prove  false.  He  mis- 
doubts Daoud,  and  suspects  a  plot  between  him  and 
Abbas,  in  which  you  are  to  be  the  prize  of  that  boy's 
selling  me  to  the  Viceroy.  If  this  be  so,  there  is  thy 
danger,  the  same  as  mine  ;  but  what  are  the  few  sands  of 
my  worn-out  life  to  the  fresh  spring  of  thine  ?  Hearken 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  213 

unto  me,  therefore,  and  heed  me  well.  I  have  made  a 
pact  with  the  Israelite,  whom  many  Christians  might  well 
imitate  in  truth  and  honor,  that  if  aught  happens  to  me, 
he  will  protect  and  conceal  thee  from  the  spoilers,  and 
send  thee  abroad  to  his  kindred.  With  him  have  I  placed 
the  bulk  of  my  fortune,  and  full  provision  hath  been 
made  for  thee.  Therefore,  should  Abbas,  as  is  possible, 
come  like  a  thief  in  the  night,  and  take  me  away,  repair 
thou  forthwith  to  the  house  of  the  Hebrew,  and  be  guided 
by  his  counsel.  His  daughter  Zillah  loveth  thee  well, ' 
though,  unhappily,  she  shares  her  father's  delusion,  and 
rejects  the  true  faith ;  yet  otherwise  is  she  fit  friend  and 
companion  for  thee.  Once  I  had  hoped  these  aged  eyes 
might  have  seen  the  fulfilment  of  the  secret  wish  of  my 
heart,  that  he  whom  thou  hast  known  only  as  thy  brother 
might  be  the  protector  and  sharer  of  thy  life.  But  now, 
the  blackness  of  a  great  darkness  hangs  over  this  fated 
house.  My  son  is  a  fugitive,  my  own  life  is  in  peril,  and 
more  than  thine,  trembling  in  the  balance  also.  But  God 
is  just,  and  we  must  put  our  trust  in  Him.  Now  go,  my 
child,  for  body  and  mind  are  both  very  weary,  and  I 
would  repose ;  but  let  me  give  thee  my  blessing  first,  thou 
angel  of  my  house  !  ' ' 

Dismissing  the  tearful  girl  with  a  solemn  benediction, 
the  old  man,  whose  venerable  aspect  and  snowy  beard 
gave  a  patriarchal  dignity  to  his  face  and  mien,  reclined 
on  his  divan,  and  sought  solace  in  his  nargileh  from  his 
sad  forebodings. 

It  was  early  spring,  but  the  heat  was  equal  to  that  of 
summer  in  more  temperate  climes.  The  great  fountain 
in  the  centre  of  the  apartment  was  in  full  play,  and  threw 
up  its  jets  of  silvery  spray  high  into  the  air,  bubbling  and 
murmuring  with  a  soothing  sound,  as  the  water  fell  back 


214  ASKAROS   K  ASS  IS. 

with  a  splash  into  the  marble  basin  below.  The  high 
latticed  windows  were  open,  and  through  them  came 
whispering,  laden  with  the  sweet  scents  of  the  garden,  the 
perfumed  breath  of  spring.  The  sunbeams  stole  slant- 
ingly into  the  apartment,  some  of  the  rays  resting  above 
the  head  of  the  old  patriarch  like  the  halo  above  a  saint. 
Blended  with  the  soothing  sounds  of  the  whispering 
breeze  and  plashing  water  came  the  regular  measured 
murmurs  of  the  nargileh,  as  the  pale-blue  smoke  floated 
upward  like  incense  from  its  silvery  bowl. 

The  influence  of  the  place,  the  time,  the  season,  seem- 
ed to  subdue  the  feverish  excitement  of  the  old  man. 
Gradually  his  face  grew  more  composed,  the  deep  lines 
softened  down,  the  knitted  brow  grew  smoother,  and  the 
compressed  lips  unclosed,  until  a  faint  smile  relaxed  their 
rigid  outline.  Pleasant  thoughts  or  memories  appeared 
to  have  succeeded  the  painful  ones  which  had  so  recently 
been  tormenting  him. 

The  smoke,  at  first  rising  in  quick,  dense  clouds  from 
his  nargileh,  came  more  regularly  and  slowly,  until  at 
length  it  ceased  to  rise,  and  the  bubbling  sound  suc- 
ceeding each  long-drawn  breath  ceased  also.  The  long 
coil  of  the  flexible  tube  glided  serpent-like  on  the  tassel- 
lated  floor,  as  the  amber  mouthpiece  dropped  from  the 
relaxing  hand ;  his  head  fell  forward  on  his  breast,  as  he 
seemed  to  sink  into  a  peaceful  slumber. 

The  fountain  still  kept  on  its  ceaseless  play ;  the 
buzzing  bees  flew  in  and  out  of  the  latticed  windows 
from  the  gardens,  whence  still  stole  in  at  intervals  the 
whispering  breeze  with  its  rifled  sweets,  but  no  other 
sounds  disturbed  the  stillness  of  the  vaulted  chamber. 
The  shadows  lengthened  as  afternoon  passed  into  eve- 
ning, and  the  sunbeams  withdrew  from  the  chamber  as 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  21$ 

dusk  came  down,  heralding  the  approach  of  night.  But 
still  the  old  man  stirred  not,  and  seemed  placidly  to 
slumber,  his  face  as  calm  as  that  of  a  sleeping  infant, 
with  an  expression  as  though  of  renewed  youth,  strangely 
out  of  keeping  with  his  snowy  beard,  stamped  upon  it. 

Thrice  did  El  Warda  steal  on  tiptoe  into  the  chamber, 
and  twice  retire,  from  reluctance  to  awaken  the  sleeper 
from  what  seemed  so  pleasant  a  repose.  The  third  time 
she  called  softly  to  rouse  him  for  the  evening  meal. 
Receiving  no  answer,  she  made  a  louder  call.  This, 
too,  being  unheeded,  she  stole  nearer  to  him,  and 
touched  his  hand,  which  was  hanging  down  from  the 
divan,  but  started  back  with  a  strange  flutter  at  her  heart 
—  it  was  icy  cold. 

Closer  she  crept,  and  peered  anxiously  in  his  face,  the 
features  of  which  were  locked  in  a  repose  stiller  and 
deeper  than  that  of  sleep. 

Terrified,  she  scarce  knew  why,  with  gasping  breath 
she  ventured  to  place  her  hand  on  the  forehead  —  and 
then  the  dreadful  truth  flashed  upon  her,  and  her  wild 
shriek  rang  through  the  building,  summoning  the  do- 
mestics, who  rushed  in  haste  toward  the  sound,  to  find 
her  fainting  on  the  floor,  with  the  face  of  the  dead  man 
bent  down  over  her,  wearing  the  same  look  of  love  for 
her  it  had  ever  done  in  life. 

A  greater  King  than  he  of  Egypt  had  summoned  the 
old  patriarch  into  his  presence ;  and  the  craft  and  cruelty 
of  the  living  despot  stood  baffled  in  the  presence,  and 
through  the  power  of  a  monarch,  before  whom  all  mor- 
tals must  bow  down. 

Death  had  entered  the  house  of  Askaros,  and  silently 
stolen  him  away  from  the  hate  and  the  avarice  of  Abbas. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

A    RACE   WITH    THE    KHAMSEEN    WIND. 

DAWN  on  the  desert !  A  gray  glimmer  first  break- 
ing out  in  streaks  on  the  eastern  sky,  followed  by 
a  rosy  flush,  as  spears  of  light  seem  to  shoot  athwart  the 
veil  of  darkness  ;  •  for  the  night  had  been  black  and  star- 
less, and  the  gloom  more  impenetrable  than  ever,  just 
preceding  the  daylight.  All  was  still  and  silent  as  the 
grave,  save  the  sighing  of  the  wind,  which  swept  with  a 
sobbing  sound  over  the  wide  wastes  of  sand,  which  the 
growing  light  disclosed.  For  ever,  over  the  desert, 
night  and  day,  blows  a  strong  wind ;  never  ceasing,  ex- 
cept as  the  prelude  to  a  storm,  or  the  terrible  hot  blast 
the  Arabs  call  Khamseen;  Europeans  the  Sirocco,  whose 
burning  breath  often  brings  death,  or  whelms  whole 
caravans  beneath  the  billows  of  fiery  sand  it  sweeps  over 
them,  and  which  thus  become  their  graves. 

Suddenly  the  shrill  neigh  of  a  horse  broke  the  sepul- 
chral stillness,  followed  by  a  grunt  of  disapproval  in 
Arabic,  as  the  Bedouin  guide  accosted  Ferraj,  reproach- 
ing him  for  not  having  brought  a  mare,  which  never 
neighs  or  gives  warning  of  its  .approach ;  since,  on  the 
desert,  each  stranger  is  regarded  as  an  enemy,  and 
secrecy,  silence,  and  swiftness,  often  the  price  of  life. 

216 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  2I/ 

Three  horses  were  picketed,  their  feet  hobbled  with 
ropes,  and  munching  at  their  provender,  tied  to  the  nose 
of  each  in  a  canvas  bag. 

Three  forms  of  men,  wrapped  in  blankets  or  woollen 
bournous,  were  also  dimly  discernible,  stretched  upon 
the  hard,  gritty  ground,  whom  the  horse's  neigh  had 
awakened.  All  three  rose  —  two  of  them  making  their 
prostrations  toward  Mecca,  and  going  through  the  Mus- 
sulman formula  of  prayer.  The  third  stood  erect,  look- 
ing out  with  curious  and  inquiring  gaze  over  the  desert, 
as  the  growing  light  revealed  its  bare,  bald  surface,  in  a 
way  which  indicated  it  was  a  novel  sight  to  him. 

Even  as  he  looked,  the  gazer  could  see  the  curtain- 
cloud  of  darkness  lifted,  and,  like  the  glittering  shafts  of 
Hyperion,  shot  down  the  arrows  of  sunlight  from  that 
great  orb,  which  suddenly  rose  large,  round,  and  fiery 
red  in  the  eastern  sky,  with  no  lingering  prelude  of  rosy 
flushings  to  announce  his  coming,  flooding  at  once  earth, 
air,  and  sky  with  his  full  effulgence.  At  a  short  distance 
from  him  the  gazer  saw  the  airy  and  graceful  forms  of  a 
troop  of  gazelles,  standing  motionless,  sharply  defined 
against  the  background  of  sky  and  distant  horizon,  loom- 
ing up  gigantic  in  the  haze ;  the  next  moment,  with 
heads  tossed  erect,  snuffing  the  morning  air,  tainted  to 
their  delicate  nostrils  by  human  presence,  the  herd  was 
bounding  away,  with  a  fleetness  which  more  resembled 
the  flight  of  birds  than  the  movement  of  wingless  crea- 
tures, until,  dipping  behind  a  small  sand-hillock,  the 
graceful  creatures  were  lost  to  view. 

Askaros  —  for  it  was  he  —  looked  around,  and  could 

see  neither  on  earth  nor  in  the  sky  the  presence  of  any 

other  living  thing ;  beast  or  bird  there  was  none  in  view, 

and  he  felt  that  even  the  sight  of  the  vulture,  sailing  in 

>9 


2l8  A  SKA  R  OS   KASSIS. 

mid-air,  would  be  welcome  to  break  this  lonely  and  life- 
less prospect.  Before,  behind,  all  around  stretched  out 
the  sandy  wastes  of  the  desert,  bounded  only  by  the  dim 
and  distant  horizon ;  without  a  shrub  or  blade  of  grass 
for  the  aching  eye  to  rest  upon  and  refresh  itself.  But 
though  the  man  seemed  saddened  by  the  view,  the  horses 
seemed  to  enjoy  it,  for  they  tossed  their  heads  exultingly 
in  air,  and  with  expanded  nostrils,  seemed  drinking  in 
exhilaration  with  the  breath  of  the  desert,  testifying  their 
delight  by  a  low  whinnying,  and  pawing  the  earth  as  though 
anxious  to  break  into  a  mad  gallop,  racing  against  the 
wind. 

To  break  the  silence  which  oppressed  him,  Askaros 
raised  his  voice  to  a  shout,  hoping  possibly  to  scare  up 
some  living  thing.  But  his  cry  fell  flat  and  almost  echo- 
less  on  the  wild  waste,  sounding  muffled  and  dull  even  in 
his  own  ears  —  like  that  of  a  man  shouting  in  a  vault  — 
while  the  rarity  of  the  desert-air  shortened  his  breath  and 
constricted  his  lungs,  as  on  some  lofty  mountain-top. 

The  morning  prayers  of  the  Nubian  and  Bedouin  hav- 
ing been  concluded,  each  took  from  the  breast  of  his 
shirt  his  pipe,  and  proceeded  to  smoke  in  satisfied  silence ; 
then,  rising  up,  took  a  small  bag  containing  dried  camel's 
dung  for  fuel,  with  which  they  kindled  a  fire  and  pre- 
pared coffee.  This,  with  brown  bread  and  a  handful  of 
fresh  dates,  composed  their  morning  meal. 

Askaros  partook  also  of  this  simple  fare,  smoking  his 
pipe  after,  instead  of  before  his  meal,  according  to  Euro- 
pean habit.  This  ceremony  concluded,  all  three  again 
remounted,  and,  led  by  the  Bedouin,  traversed  the  desert 
in  a  particular  direction,  there  being  no  path  or  any  other 
indication  which  would  seem  to  show  the  road ;  the  in- 
stinct of  the  Bedouin,  and  his  familiarity  with  the  level 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  21$ 

plain  alone,  serving  to  guide  them.  Rapidly  rose  the 
sun ;  soon  fiercely  asserting  his  sole  supremacy  over  the 
desert,  where  his  beams  met  no  obstacle,  and  were  re- 
lieved by  no  shade.  By  midday  so  fervid  and  over- 
powering was  the  heat,  that  Askaros,  hardy  as  he  was, 
felt  almost  fainting  and  dizzy  with  the  glare,  his  eyes  not 
being  protected  like  those  of  the  others  by  the  projecting 
cowl  of  the  bornous,  which  they  drew  over  their  heads 
in  the  fashion  of  a  hood.  Several  times  he  stooped  and 
dismounted,  interposing  the  body  of  his  horse  between 
himself  and  the  sun,  as  the  only  shade  he  could  find, 
crouching  down  in  the  hot  sand,  which  almost  blistered 
his  feet,  and  reflected  a  heat  like  an  oven. 

Welcome  indeed  was  the  sight  of  an  oasis,  which  glad- 
dened his  eyes,  apparently  about  a  mile  distant,  the  wav- 
ing of  whose  palm-trees  he  certainly  could  distinguish, 
and  even  the  sparkling  waters  of  a  pool  he  was  almost 
sure  he  could  see  rippling  to  its  bank. 

With  outstretched  hand  pointing  eagerly  in  the  direc- 
tion of ,  this  welcome  sight,  he  cried  out  eagerly  to  the 
Bedouin : 

' '  How  far  is  it  to  yonder  water  ?    We  shall  stop  there. ' ' 

The  white  teeth  of  the  dusky  Arab  suddenly  shone 
through  his  dark  skin,  as  he  answered  with  a  grin  the 
young  man's  anxious  inquiry. 

"  Mooshmoia — saba  (not  water — sand:)  it  is  the  Mir- 
age." 

As  the  young  man,  doubting  still  the  delusion  of  his 
senses,  strained  his  eyes  upon  the  spot,  he  was  still  more 
convinced  that  he  was  right  and  the  Bedouin  wrong ;  for 
not  only  did  he  see  the  clear  pool  and  the  shady  palm- 
trees  now,  but  could  even  detect  human  forms  and  camels 
moving  along  the  banks,  as  well  as  the  huts  of  an  Arab 


22O  ASKAROS    K ASS  IS. 

village,  crowned  by  the  dome  of  the  usual  mosque,  with 
its  minarets,  in  the  midst. 

As  still  gazing  intently,  he  was  about  reproving  the 
Bedouin  for  jesting  with  and  deceiving  him,  another  sud- 
den change  took  place,  which  staggered  and  silenced 
him ;  for  the  pool  seemed  suddenly  to  enlarge  into  a 
wide  lake  —  the  trees  rose  to  gigantic  height  —  and  the 
huts  expanded  into  stately  buildings  of  Moorish  architect- 
ure —  while  the  mosque  became  the  counterfeit  present- 
ment of  one  of  the  palaces  of  the  Memlook  Sultans,*its 
turrets  and  pinnacles  glittering  and  gleaming,  like  those 
of  a  fairy  palace,  under  the  rays  of  the  sun. 

"Sitta  Mariam  protect  us!  it  is  enchantment !  "  mut- 
tered the  Copt,  in  whom  education  had  not  entirely  erad- 
icated native  superstition. 

"  Allah  preserve  us!  it  is  the  work  of  Jinn  s  /"  (evil 
Genii)  exclaimed  the  Bedouin,  prostrating  himself,  and 
striking  the  sand  with  his  head,  as  he  went  through  his 
namaz,  or  prayers. 

The  Nubian,  the  whites  of  his  eyes  rolling  wildly  in 
his  black  face,  was  too  startled  or  amazed  to  say  or  do 
anything  —  but  stared,  like  his  master,  at  the  strange 
sight,  equally  new  to  him. 

Even  as  they  gazed,  however,  palaces,  lake,  temple, 
palm-trees,  men,  and  camels,  all  became  more  and  more 
indistinct,  like  a  dissolving  view  in  a  magic  mirror,  then 
faded  utterly  away,  leaving  again  nothing  visible  to  the 
aching  eyes  that  strained  after  it,  but  the  bare  desert  and 
distant  horizon. 

Askaros  breathed  a  deep  sigh  when  the  pageant  passed 
away,  and  turning  to  the  Bedouin  said : 

"It  is  natural  that  we  who  have  never  seen  this  strange 
sight  before,  should  be  astonished  at  it ;  but  how  does  it 


ASKAROS    K  AS  SIS.  221 

happen  that  you  —  to  whom  it  must  be  so  familiar  — 
should  show  such  terror  ?  For  it  is  a  harmless  vision  — 
though  it  juggles  with  the  eyesight,  and  mocks  the  hopes 
of  men." 

"Effendi !  "  answered  the  Bedouin,  gravely,  "we  who 
live  on  the  desert,  in  the  full  sight  of  Allah  —  not  hidden 
in  towns  —  learn  many  things  unknown  to  you  men  of 
the  cities  !  Many  times,  indeed,  as  many  almost  as  the 
years  of  my  life,  have  I  seen  the  mirage,  and  cared  not 
for  it ;  but  only  twice  before  have  I  seen  the  palaces  of 
the  great  King  Solomon,  built  by  the  Genii,  whom  he 
controlled,  and  with  the  sight  of  which  those  evil  spirits 
sometimes  mock  the  eyes  of  men  — as  they  did  but  now. 
Each  time  was  the  sight  followed  by  the  wrath  of  those 
evil  Genii  —  which  is  a  consuming  fire — when  Sheitan 
sends  them  from  the  pit  of  Eblis  to  roam  this  desert  — 
once  the  site  of  their  great  and  glorious  cities,  before  the 
anger  of  Allah  visited  it  and  them.  Each  time  before 
after  mocking  us  thus  with  the  sight  of  shade,  and  water, 
and  great  cities,  have  those  Genii  ridden  down  upon  us, 
with  the  fiery  wind  of  the  desert,  and  destroyed  almost 
the  whole  of  our  caravan,  with  many  of  my  kindred. 
Therefore  it  was,  I  prayed  to  Allah  to  crush  the  power, 
and  restrain  the  vengeance  of  those  wicked  spirits  —  for 
in  His  hand  alone  is  the  power,  on  the  earth,  as  in  the 
air,  over  Sheitan  and  his  host." 

There  was  something  in  the  tone  and  look,  as  well  as 
in  the  speech  of  this  unlettered  child  of  the  desert,  with 
his  simple  but  sublime  trust  in  God,  which  thrilled  to  the 
heart  of  the  young  Copt,  and  made  him  feel  how  inferior 
he  was  in  faith  to  this  rude  Bedouin.  Yet  he  smiled  to 
himself  at  these  superstitious  fears,  which  reflected  no 
corresponding  dread  in  his  own  breast  —  trained  as  he 
19* 


222  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

had  been  in  the  polite  skepticism  of  an  English  univer- 
sity. 

So  he  permitted  the  subject  to  drop,  without  discussion, 
and  they  plodded  wearily  on  for  an  hour  more,  until 
they  reached  a  small  clump  of  trees,  where  they  made 
their  mid-day  halt,  and  rested  until  the  noonday  heats  were 
over,  resuming  their  journey  with  the  setting  of  the  sun, 
and  only  resting  from  midnight  to  sunrise  again. 

About  noon  the  next  day,  while  they  were  experiencing 
a  repetition  of  their  sufferings  of  the  previous  one,  As- 
karos  impatiently  called  out  to  the  Bedouin  to  know 
when  they  would  reach  the  next  oasis,  and  what  it  was 
called. 

"It  is  called  The  Diamond  of  the  Desert,"  replied  the 
Bedouin,  "and  we  may  reach  it  in  three  hours'  time. 
We  are  not  travelling  fast  to-day,  for  the  horses  all  seem 
languid  and  unwilling  to  go  on  —  mine  as  well  as  yours 
— and  anxious  to  go  back  rather  than  forward.  I  scarcely 
can  keep  my  mare  straight !  Yet  Desert  Star  knows  the 
road  as  well  as  her  master !  "  he  added,  patting  the  neck 
of  his  horse,  which  turned  its  head,  and  gazed  with  al- 
most human  appeal  upon  its  rider. 

"Perhaps,"  said  Askaros,  scoffingly,  "the  horses 
covet  the  hospitalities  of  the  Genii,  proffered  us  yester- 
day, and  wish  to  turn  back  to  enjoy  them.  For  my  own 
part,  I  confess,  I  should  feel  inclined  to  accept  them,  if 
they  were  tendered  again  !  " 

The  Bedouin,  with  a  terror-stricken  face,  raised  his 
hand  in  deprecation,  and  was  about  to  speak;  but  ere 
any  words  could  issue  from  his  lips,  a  moaning  sound 
swept  down  to  them  on  the  wind,  as  though  in  answer  to 
the  rash  speaker's  challenge,  and  a  column  of  fire  seemed 


ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

to  tower  up  into  the  air,  blood-red  against  the  sky,  in  ad- 
vance of  them. 

Rearing  straight  up,  and  plunging  until  she  shook  the 
powerful  bit  loose  from  her  tongue,  the  Desert  Star 
wheeled  short  round  in  her  tracks,  and  bounded  away 
with  the  fleetness  of  a  gazelle  over  the  ground  they  had 
just  traversed. 

As  though  in  imitation  of  her  example,  Selim  and  the 
steed  of  the  Nubian  followed  her  lead,  and  pressed  in  a 
mad  race  on  the  flying  footsteps  of  the  fleet  mare. 
Wrenching  himself  round  in  his  saddle,  the  Bedouin,  in- 
stead of  checking  his  mare,  dug  his  sharp  shovel  stirrups 
into  her  flanks,  to  urge  her  onward,  shouting  back: 

"Follow  for  your  lives!  It  is  the  Khamseen  wind. 
We  may  escape  it  by  flight !  to  meet  it  is  death ! ' ' 

No  other  words  were  exchanged  between  them  as  they 
rushed  along  in  their  wild  race  for  life,  in  the  seemingly 
desperate  hope  of  out-stripping  the  whirlwind,  whose 
rising  moan  grew  louder ;  and  as  Askaros  turned  his 
head  and  looked  back,  he  saw  the  fiery  pillar  whirling 
on  faster  and  nearer  to  them.  Stronger  and  more  fleet 
than  the  mare  —  though  she  was  of  the  purest  Aneyzeh 
blood  —  the  white  Selim  soon  bore  his  master  to  the 
Bedouin's  side,  and  the  two  swept  on  like  the  wind  to- 
gether —  the  Nubian  dropping  behind  in  the  race. 

Then,  with  laboring  breath  Askaros  addressed  his 
companion : 

"What  is  our  hope  of  escape?  Can  we  hope  to  out- 
strip the  wind?  and  if  not,  why  defer  our  doom,  if  it  be 
inevitable  ?  Tell  me,  O  son  of  the  desert  —  for  I  would 
know  the  truth,  and  front  my  fate  like  a  man !  " 

"Allah  Kerim!"  (God  is  great)  responded  the  Bed- 
ouin; "in  His  hands  are  life  and  death.  When  his 


224  ASKAROS   K ASS  IS. 

Kismet  comes,  man  must  submit.  But  there  is  a  chance 
of  escape  left  us  yet.  See  yonder  palm-trees ! ' '  and  he 
pointed  to  what  looked  like  a  hillock  in  the  distance. 
"If  we  can  only  reach  that  shelter,  we  can  avoid  being 
buried  under  the  column  of  fiery  sand  you  see  sweeping 
down  upon  us,  and  which  else  will  scorch  and  consume 
us,  and  under  which  we  shall  else  soon  be  buried  from 
sight  of  man  or  vulture,  until  the  next  Khamseen  shall 
disinter  our  bones !  " 

No  other  words  were  spoken,  but  they  swept  on,  Ferraj 
toiling  in  the  rear,  the  red  pillar  looming  up  nearer  and 
broader,  and  more  fiery,  as  it  pursued  them. 

A  cry,  as  of  human  agony,  smote  sharply  on  the  ear 
of  Askaros.  He  turned  his  head,  and,  to  the  surprise  of 
his  companion,  checked  his  fleet  steed  and  wheeled  him 
round,  against  his  will,  after  a  short,  sharp  struggle,  and 
galloped  back  —  toward  death! 

The  Bedouin  glanced  back  over  his  shoulder,  sharply 
checked  his  mare  an  instant — shook  his  head  as  though 
in  doubt  —  then  goring  her  bleeding  sides  with  the  cruel 
stirrups,  and  shaking  free  her  rein  with  a  cry  of  encour- 
agement, darted  again  like  a  bird  on  his  forward  course. 

"Magnoon!"  (mad),  he  muttered;  "better  one  die 
than  all  three  !" 

The  abrupt  movement  of  Askaros  had  been  occasioned 
(as  the  Bedouin  saw)  by  the  sight  of  Ferraj,  standing 
over  his  fallen  horse,  which  he  strove  in  vain  to  drag  up 
to  its  feet ;  and  the  cry  had  been  the  last  farewell  of  the 
faithful  soul  to  his  master,  so  well  beloved. 

But  a  sharp  pang  seemed  to  rend  him,  when  he  saw 
that  master  rushing  back  to  succor  him,  at  the  peril  of 
his  own  life ;  and  as  Askaros  approached  him,  with  a 
piteous  cry  he  shouted: 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  22$ 

"Save  yourself?  my  Kismet  is  accomplished!  This 
horse  can  go  no  further !  Fly  yourself  while  it  is  yet 
time !  "  for  even  as  he  spoke  the  first  faint  puffs  of  hot 
wind,  like  a  furnace-blast,  mingled  with  heated  sand, 
struck  upon  the  faces  of  both  —  the  avant-couriers  of  the 
advancing  Khamseen,  whose  mighty  pillar  of  flame  was 
inarching  down  swiftly  upon  them. 

"  Mount  behind  me  quickly!  "  said  Askaros,  "Selim 
will  carry  both." 

"  No  !  no  !  "  said  the  Nubian.  "I  will  not  peril  your 
life.  If  it  is  the  will  of  Allah,  I  shall  live,  or  I  shall 
die.  Leave  me  and  save  yourself.  Selim  cannot  carry 
both." 

"You  are  risking  two  lives  by  your  obstinacy,"  cried 
Askaros,  impatiently,  "for  I  swear  I  will  not  leave  you  ! 
So  jump  up  behind  me  without  more  words  !  " 

The  Nubian's  habit  of  blind  obedience  to  his  master's 
orders  conquered  his  reluctance ;  he  leaped  up  behind, 
and  the  gallant  horse,  with  his  double  burden,  again 
strained  every  sinew  in  renewed  flight — following  the 
track  of  the  Bedouin,  whose  white  bornous  was  still 
visible  in  the  distance. 

But  the  pace  of  Selim  was  sensibly  slackened  by  the 
weight  of  his  double  burden;  though  the  Nubian's  spare 
figure  did  not  greatly  increase  the  weight,  yet  it  was 
enough  to  tell  heavily  in  addition. 

The  foam  upon  the  bit  of  the  straining  steed  began  to 
be  streaked  with  blood :  and  the  laboring  chest  and 
heaving  flanks  to  indicate  coming  exhaustion. 

Still  he  bore  on  gallantly,  without  touch  of  scourge 
or  spur,  until,  at  last,  they  were  on  the  very  verge  of  the 
clump  of  palms — their  ark  of  safety — where  they  could 
see  the  Bedouin  as  he  sat  on  his  mare  on  the  outskirts,  his 

P 


226  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

hand  over  his  eyes,  peering  into  the  desert,  while  louder 
yet,  like  the  shrieks  of  the  angry  Genii,  came  the  rushing 
sound  of  the  fatal  wind,  and  fiercer  and  more  frequent  the 
fiery  breath  of  the  giant-shape  now  sweeping  down  upon 
them. 

Just  then,  the  noble  horse,  that  bore  them  so  gallantly, 
tripped,  stumbled  and  fell  heavily  forward.  He  stag- 
gered to  his  feet  as  both  his  riders  sprung  off,  looked 
with  glazing  eyes  upon  his  master,  into  whose  hand  he 
thrust  his  nozzle,  licking  his  hand  as  a  favorite  dog  might 
have  done,  and  then  reeled  and  fell  a  second  time,  a 
slight  shudder  convulsing  his  whole  frame — stretched 
out  his  graceful  limbs  with  a  low  moan — and  died. 

As  Askaros,  overpowered  with  grief  at  the  death  of  the 
friend  to  whom  he  owed  his  life,  stood  over  him  in  stupe- 
fied sorrow,  the  Nubian  seized  him  in  his  strong  arms,  as 
though  he  were  a  child,  with  the  strength  of  desperation, 
and  rushed  to  the  copse,  into  which  he  stumbled  and 
fell — just  in  time. 

For  when  they  rose  to  their  feet,  and  looked  out  into 
the  place  they  had  just  left,  the  fiery  cloud  had  passed 
over  it,  and  they  saw  it  rushing  on  beyond:  the  spot 
where  the  noble  steed  had  fallen  being  marked  by  a 
mound  of  heated  sand,  which  rose  in  billowy  undulations 
over  the  whole  surface  of  the  plain,  smoking  like  a  lime- 
kiln, and  exhaling  a  stifling  odor,  even  in  the  sheltered 
spot  where  they  stood  in  safety. 

"Sitta  Mariam  !  "  ejaculated  the  Copt,  fervently;   "I 
vow  an  offering  to  thee  for  this  miraculous  preserva 
tion!" 

"Allah  Kerim!  "  (God  is  great),  echoed  the  Nubian. 

"The  Genii  have  been  propitiated  by  the  sacrifice  of 
the  steeds  which  belonged  not  to  the  desert, ' '  said  the 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  2.2J 

Bedouin,  stroking  fondly  the  neck  of  his  mare,  which 
laid  its  graceful  deer -like  head  against  his  breast,  as 
though  understanding  him;  "but  to  Allah  be  the  praise 
and  glory  nevertheless !  Thy  Kismet,  O  youth ! "  he 
said,  turning  to  Askaros,  "will  be  a  fortunate  one! 
Here  let  us  await  in  peace  and  safety  the  coming  of  the 
caravan,  which  passes  this  way.  Within  three  days  we 
shall  rest  under  the  tents  of  our  great  Sheik,  Abou-Gosh, 
for  we  are  already  in  Syria,  and  no  hawk,  Turkish, 
Egyptian  or  Frank,  can  hunt  its  game  here,  without  per- 
mission from  the  Sheik,  our  master." 


CHAPTER  XX. 

A    MODERN    FAUST. 

WHEN  the  tidings  of  the  young  man's  flight  and 
the  old  man's  death  were  brought  to  Abbas 
Pasha,  he  at  first  disbelieved  the  intelligence,  suspecting 
some  trick.  But  when  the  news  was  fully  confirmed,  he 
sent  for  Daoud-ben-Youssouf,  who  promptly  obeyed  the 
summons,  and  stood  for  a  second  time  in  the  Viceroy's 
presence. 

"What  means  all  this?"  growled  Abbas.  "Canst 
thou  give  any  clue  to  the  place  where  the  younger  of 
these  dogs  is  hidden  ?  For  they  tell  me  the  old  one  is 
dead,  and  steps  must  now  be  taken  for  regulating  his 
succession.  Knowest  thou,  as  thou  hast  boasted,  where 
his  great  wealth  is  placed,  and  how  invested?" 

"Effendina!  the  affairs  of  the  Khasnadar  are  better 
known  to  me  than  to  any  other  man  —  both  his  public 
and  his  private  —  and  I  am  prepared  to  prove  my  asser- 
tion. Of  the  hiding-place  of  the  young  man  I  know 
nothing,  for  I  have  not  seen  him  for  a  long  time,  and 
the  people  of  his  household  only  know  that  two  days 
since,  his  Nubian  slave,  Ferraj,  disappeared,  taking  with 
him  the  favorite  horse  of  Askaros  and  another,  and  had 
not  returned.  Hence,  they  suppose  both  have  fled  away 
together. ' ' 

228 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  22$ 

"Why  should  he  fly?"  asked  Abbas;  "he  had  just 
been  set  free,  and  had  no  cause  tor  fear." 

"  Effendina  !  that  is  a  mystery  which,  as  yet,  I  cannot 
solve.  But  give  me  a  little  time,  and  I  hope  to  do  so." 

Abbas  Pasha  mused  a  few  moments ;  then,  fixing  his 
dull  but  penetrating  eye  on  the  young  Syrian,  said : 

"Thou  hast  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent:  what  now 
dost  thou  propose  to  do,  to  earn  the  reward  I  promised 
thee,  for  thy  first  plan  hath  failed,  and  thy  testimony  is 
useless  against  a  dead  man  —  so  also  thy  treachery?" 

"  Effendina  !  if  the  humblest  of  thy  servants  might  be 
allowed  to  speak,  he  would  say  that,  though  the  man  is 
dead,  yet  the  succession  lives  still,  and  that  is  of  more 
importance  than  the  man.  The  natural  heir  dead,  or 
fled  away,  no  one  knows  where,  and  no  near  blood- 
relations  left,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  government  to  take 
charge  of  the  estate  for  the  benefit  of  the  heirs,  as  well 
as  to  regulate  its  accounts  with  the  treasury.  Hence  the 
road  is  easier  now  to  travel  than  heretofore." 

"Verily  thou  art  a  young  Sheitan,"  said  Abbas,  ad- 
miringly; "though  thou  speakest  truly  in  this  matter, 
which  Sheitan,  thy  father,  generally  doth  not.  But  I 
see  thou  hast  something  further  to  say ;  so  be  not  over- 
modest,  but  speak  out.  What  is  it  ?  " 

"  Effendina  !  the  mind  of  thy  servant,  reflected  in  his 
face  to  an  eye  which  sees  everything,  was  troubled  on 
this  point.  To  secure  the  management  of  that  estate 
which  will  meet  the  views  of  your  Highness,  it  is  neces- 
sary it  should  be  committed  to  the  hands  of  some  one 
who  could  be  trusted,  and  with  sufficient  capacity  to 
settle  it  satisfactorily." 

Abbas  threw  himself  back  on  his  divan  with  a  roar  of 
laughter. 


230  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

"Ho!  ho!"  he  cried;  "this  is  too  good.  So  our 
modest  young  scribe  thinks  the  proper  person  to  admin- 
ister that  estate  is  the  late  Wakeel  of  the  late  Khasnadar, 
now  gone  to  his  rest  in  the  bosom  of  his  Father  Abra- 
ham ;  or,  what  is  more  likely,  roasting  now  in  Gehenna. 
Is  it  not  so,  O  youth  !  whose  bashful  ness  equals  thy  dis- 
cretion ?  Thou  crowest  loudly,  indeed,  for  a  cock 
whose  spurs  are  yet  ungrown,  and  whose  beard  would 
never  betray  thee  under  a  woman's  veil."  Then, 
relapsing  into  seriousness,  he  added.  "What  thou 
dreamest  of  is  impossible.  Great  indeed  would  be  the 
scandal,  were  so  important  a  trust  placed  in  hands  like 
thine ;  and  plain  to  the  eyes  of  all  men  would  be  the 
price  of  thy  treachery  to  thy  patron.  No,  no  !  Go 
home,  and  dash  water  on  thy  head  to  cool  thy  fevered 
brain,  which  makes  thee  fancy  thou  art  more  than  a  tool 
in  the  hands  of  thy  superiors,  and  canst  claim  thy  reward 
before  thou  hast  earned  it.  No  !  I  shall  name  a  well- 
known  friend  of  the  late  Khasnadar  —  Zoulfikar  Pasha — 
to  take  charge  of  the  estate  for  the  benefit  of  the  family 
and  kindred  of  the  dead  man,  and  to  regulate  his  ac- 
counts with  my  government,  that  all  men  may  see  and 
admire  the  justice  of  the  Viceroy,  even  toward  those 
whom  it  is  known  he  loves  not.  Then,  through  the 
agency  of  the  Grand  Meglis,  with  the  aid  of  thy  testi- 
mony, and  the  proofs  thou  hast  promised,  we  can  con- 
fiscate that  property,  and  take  it  into  our  possession,  for 
the  ends  of  public  justice.  Thy  vanity  and  grasping 
avarice  must  have  clouded  the  usual  clearness  of  thy 
vision,  if  thou  canst  not  see  how  incongruous  would  be 
thy  double  duty,  or  should  dream  of  mounting  the  top 
round  of  the  ladder  before  planting  foot  on  the  lowest. ' ' 

Despite   his   habitual   dissimulation,  the   face   of  the 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  2$l 

Syrian,  while  the  Viceroy  sneeringly  spoke,  eying  him 
over  the  while,  like  some  small  reptile  striving -to  climb  — 
underwent  many  changes  ;  and  though  he  bent  his  angry 
eyes,  full  of  evil  fire,  toward  the  ground,  as  if  too  abashed 
to  raise  them,  the  flush  on  his  pale  cheek  betrayed  the 
emotion  in  his  soul. 

Abbas  marked  it  with  his  cold,  cruel  eye,  but  made  no 
comment,  for  he  regarded  Daoud  merely  as  an  instru- 
ment he  could  use  and  cast  aside  as  it  pleased  him,  and 
his  malign  spirit  enjoyed  the  infliction  of  torture  on  one 
so  callous,  and  so  little  troubled  with  scruples  of  con- 
science. So,  with  the  tiger  instinct  natural  to  him,  he 
prolonged  the  cruel  sport,  and  played  with  the  writhing 
victim  anxious  to  escape. 

"Thou  hast  forgotten  one  thing,"  said  the  Viceroy. 
"  If  the  old  man  be  dead,  and  the  young  one  an  outlaw 
by  his  own  act,  the  girl  of  whom  thou  hast  spoken  to  me 
becomes  the  heiress  to  these  great  possessions,  and  will  not 
lack  for  suitors.  It  may  be  that  Zoulfikar  Pasha  him- 
self, who  is  the  handsomest  man  in  my  domains,  might 
like  to  take  charge  of  her,  as  well  as  of  the  estate.  With 
all  the  best  intentions  toward  thee,  how  can  I  decently 
restrain  her  choice,  should  she  choose  to  marry  before 
our  plans  are  completed,  and  she  is  known  to  be  a  pauper, 
and  fit  bride  only  for  a  lover  so  disinterested  as  thyself." 

Through  the  base,  yet  not  utterly  degraded  spirit  of 
the  Syrian  there  shot  a  pang,  keen  almost  as  the  death- 
agony — a  fierce  thirst  for  the  blood  of  the  man  who  thus 
taunted  him,  coupled  with  a  sickening  sense  of  his  own 
ineffable  baseness,  in  being  a  thing  which  merited  such 
scorn  even  from  the  evil  creature  who  entertained  it.  He 
dared  not  trust  himself  to  reply,  lest  he  should  betray 
himself.  He  only  bowed  his  head  yet  lower,  as  though 


232  ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS. 

in  self-abasement,  that  he  might  hide  the  glare  of  his 
eyes,  which  might  excite  the  distrust  of  the  tyrant :  for 
he  felt  that  the  hell  in  his  heart  was  blazing  out  through 
those  windows  of  the  soul,  and  could  not  be  hidden 
were  he  to  raise  them. 

Abbas  gloated  over  his  confusion  and  shame,  and 
sought  to  increase  them. 

"Thou  art  silent,"  he  said.  "Art  thou  convinced, 
and  wilt  thou  then  be  content  with  the  two  hundred 
purses  of  gold  as  thy  reward,  relinquishing  all  thought 
of  the  maiden,  as  a  prize  now  far  too  great  for  one  in  thy 
low  station  to  aspire  to  ?  Answer. ' ' 

Mastering  himself  by  a  mighty  effort,  while  he  regis- 
tered in  his  soul  a  secret  vow  of  vengeance  against  the 
smiling  despot,  the  Syrian  raised  his  head,  wrath  no 
longer  burning  in  the  eyes,  now  encircled  with  two  livid 
rings,  and  sunken  deep  in  their  orbits,  like  those  of  one 
just  recovering  from  almost  mortal  illness.  In  truth,  the 
whole  face  seemed  to  have  aged  suddenly,  and  his  voice 
sounded  harsh  and  hollow  when  he  spoke. 

"Effendina  !  "  he  said,  "I  am  not  so  blind  or  so  silly 
as  you  deem  ;  neither  am  I  aspiring  higher  than  1  ought. 
I  freely  admit  the  force  of  what  your  Highness  says  as  to 
the  succession,  and  the  choice  made  proves  the  wisdom 
of  my  lord's  far-seeing  mind.  But  as  regards  the  girl, 
Effendina,  she  cannot  inherit  these  estates,  for  she  bears 
not  the  name,  and  is  not  of  the  blood  of  Askaros,  but 
only,  like  myself,  one  of  the  children  of  his  bounty. 
This  thing  will  explain  to  my  high  lord,  and  justify  what 
he  deemed  the  presumption  of  his  servant,  who  knows 
his  own  place  too  well  to  aspire  above  it !  " 

Surprise  succeeded  scorn  upon  the  face  of  Abbas. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  233 

' '  Explain  this  riddle  to  me, ' '  he  said,  sharply.  ' '  Canst 
thou  prove  this  statement  ? ' ' 

"Effendina,  the  fact  is  well  known  to  all  the  friends 
of  Askaros,  for  of  near  kindred  he  has  none,  and  prob- 
ably the  girl  herself,  of  all  the  household,  is  the  only 
person  ignorant  of  it." 

" Peki J"  said  Abbas;  "so  much  the  better,  then. 
In  that  case  thou  mayest  fear  no  rivalry,  and  doubtless 
the  girl  will  gladly  seek  the  shelter  of  thy  hareem  when  she 
finds  herself  friendless  and  poor.  Unless,"  he  added, 
with  a  sinister  glance,  "some  one  tells  her  of  thy  faithful 
services  to  me,  which  she  might  not  appreciate.  Women 
are  so  wrong-headed  !  But  fear  nothing.  If  thou  deal- 
est faithfully  with  me,  thou  shalt  have  both  girl  and  gold. 
Now  go,  and  prepare  carefully  thy  papers  for  the  Grand 
Meglis,  for  that  intermeddling  homar  (ass)  of  a  consul- 
general  cannot  now  annoy  me  further." 

With  hate  in  his  heart,  but  with  respectful  deference  in 
his  manner,  Daoud  knelt  down  and  prostrated  himself 
with  lowly  reverence  before  the  Viceroy,  who  seemed  to 
have  utterly  forgotten  his  presence,  and  retired  backward 
from  the  room  ;  but  no  sooner  had  the  curtain  dropped 
behind  him,  than  the  mask  he  had  worn  fell  from  his 
face,  which  grew  fiendish  and  fell  in  its  fixed  resolve. 

"Ay,"  he  muttered,  grinding  his  teeth,  "truly  shalt 
thou  pay  my  price,  and  with  usury  too  !  And  then  — 
and  then  ?  —  another  perhaps  thou  wottest  not  of !  " 

He  was  startled  from  his  reverie  by  a  shrill  cry  seem- 
ing to  come  from  high  in  air,  and  glancing  through  a 
window  by  which  he  was  passing,  saw  one  of  the  desert 
hawks  —  a  small,  fierce  bird  —  pounce  down  upon  and 
strike  a  vulture  twice  its  size,  whose  torn  plumes  and 
blood-bedabbled  crest  attested  the  severity  of  the  stroke, 
20* 


234  ASKAROS    K ASS  IS. 

as  it  flew  fast  away,  dropping  its  prey  as  it  fled,  on  which 
the  hawk  settled  down. 

"An  omen!  an  omen!"  gasped  the  Syrian,  "sent 
by  the  master  whose  servants  we  both  are.  I  accept  it, 
and  woe  to  thee,  foul  vulture!"  he  hissed,  shaking  his 
clenched  hand  in  the  direction  of  the  chamber  wherein 
Abbas  sat,  ' '  when  the  appointed  hour  shall  come  for  the 
hawk  to  strike ! ' ' 

With  head  once  more  proudly  erect,  and  with  the  step 
of  a  conqueror,  the  Syrian,  pausing  a  moment  on  the 
threshold  to  shake  the  dust  from  his  feet  as  he  passed 
over  it,  muttering  to  himself,  strode  rapidly  away,  like 
one  possessed  of  an  evil  demon. 

Two  hours  later,  as  Daoud  -  ben  -  Youssouf  sat  in  his 
upper  room,  looking  out  over  the  Ezbekieh  in  the  dim 
twilight,  his  lamp  not  yet  lighted,  his  old  Arab  servant, 
a  withered  crone  —  cook,  housekeeper  and  drudge  — 
shuffled  into  the  room,  and  announced,  with  a  mysterious 
air,  that  two  veiled  women  — an  old  and  a  young  one  — 
demanded  to  see  the  master  of  the  house.  The  leer  in 
the  old  woman's  eye  indicated  her  belief  in  the  purport 
of  the  visit,  and  the  Syrian,  indignantly  hurling  an  Arab 
malediction  at  her,  sternly  commanded  her  to  bring  no 
such  messages  to  him,  on  pain  of  instant  dismissal  from 
his  service,  and  to  send  the  women  away.  For,  in  the 
thorough  absorption  of  his  soul,  he  had  no  time  or  taste 
for  the  usual  frivolities  or  vices  of  youth,  and  lived  the 
life  of  an  anchorite,  so  far  as  mortification  of  the  flesh 
in  every  way  was  concerned. 

As  the  old  woman,  grumbling,  was  withdrawing  to  ful- 
fil his  orders,  she  was  pushed  aside  by  the  unwelcome 
visitors,  who  walked  into  the  room  unannounced,  the 
elder  woman  standing  in  the  doorway,  which  she  entirely 


A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS.  235 

filled  up  with  her  bulky  person  and  spreading  dress, 
dropped  the  curtain  down  so  as  to  leave  only  Daoud  and 
the  younger  woman  in  the  room  alone. 

As  the  angry  Syrian  was  about  to  repeat  the  uncompli- 
mentary remarks  he  had  just  made  his  servant,  the  woman 
advanced  and  threw  back  her  veil.  As  she  did  so,  amaze- 
ment succeeded  anger  on  the  young  man's  face,  and  so 
great  was  his  agitation  that  he  supported  himself  by  clutch- 
ing at  the  window-sill. 

The  woman  spoke  first. 

"  Daoud-ben-Youssouf,"  she  said,  "  you  know  me  too 
well  to  doubt  for  an  instant  the  purpose  of  my  visit,  un- 
maidenly  and  immodest  as  my  presence  here  may  seem, 
alone  in  the  night-time,  with  unveiled  face,  in  your  house. 
But  I  come  on  matters  of  life  and  death  —  from  the  feet 
of  a  dead  father  to  search  for  a  lost  brother !  from  a 
house  of  mourning  to  see  whether  El  Warda  has  yet  one 
friend  left  ?  Where  is  my  brother  ?  If  living  man  in 
this  city  know,  thou  art  the  man  ! ' ' 

"Sit  down,"  gasped  the  Syrian,  whose  face  had  grown 
ashy  pale,  and  whose  lips  quivered.  "  Call  in  your  com- 
panion, and  we  can  talk  in  French,  for  it  is  not  meet  for 
your  maiden  reputation  to  be  left  alone  in  a  room  with  a 
man.  That  reputation  is  dearer  to  me  than  my  life." 

The  girl  did  not  take  the  offered  seat,  nor  summon  her 
companion.  She  smiled  a  sad,  wan  smile,  and  shook 
her  head. 

"  Daoud,"  she  said,  "trouble  not  yourself  with  such 
trifles.  I  was  a  girl  this  morning  —  I  am  a  woman  now 
— and,  like  yourself,  have  had  enough  of  Frank  training, 
to  care  little  for  foolish  forms.  What  I  have  to  say  to 
you,  and  hear  from  you,  must  be  said  and  heard  alone. 
Listen  to  me  !  The  day  before  he  died,  my  father  was 


236  ASA'AXOS    KASSIS. 

warned  by  one  in  whom  he  trusted,  to  beware  of  you  — 
for  you  meditated  treachery  —  and  I  believe  the  shock 
of  that  revelation,  joined  to  other  griefs,  caused  his  death. 
I  come  now  to  prove  whether  you  are  false  or  true  this 
night ;  for,  in  your  hands  now,  I  know,  will  rest  the 
fortunes  and  the  fate  of  my  brother  and  myself.  Thus 
much  I  know.  Now,  tell  me  first,  where  has  my  brother 
gone?" 

Over  the  face  of  the  Syrian,  as  she  spoke,  there  swept 
many  changing  emotions  ;  but  the  predominating  expres- 
sion was  one  of  hungry,  craving  admiration  —  his  eyes 
strained  upon  her  countenance,  and  his  ear  eagerly  drink- 
ing in  the  sound  of  her  voice.  When  she  ceased,  re- 
peating again  her  closing  question,  which  he  seemed  not 
to  have  heard  —  he  answered  vaguely,  like  a  man  talking 
in  his  sleep: 

"Where  has  he  gone?     I  do  not  know  !  " 

"You  know,  and  will  not  tell,  Daoud  !  Why  will  you 
not  tell  me  —  his  sister  ?  Are  you  truly  then  our  enemy  ? ' ' 

"Your  enemy?"  gasped  the  Syrian,  recovering  at 
once  all  his  faculties,  and  speaking  almost  with  indigna- 
tion. "O  El  Warda!  star  of  my  boyhood  !  sunlight  of 
my  manhood  !  sole  hope  of  my  heart !  there  runs  not  a 
drop  of  blood  in  these  veins  that  I  would  not  pour  out 
in  your  service.  You  have  no  slave  you  can  command 
more  absolutely  than  Daotid-ben-Youssouf,  whose  greatest 
.sin  has  been  only  loving  you  too  well !  It  grieves  me, 
indeed,  to  hear  that  my  old  friend  and  benefactor  should 
have  listened  to  the  lying  tongues  that  defamed  me.  For 
how  could  I  meditate  treachery  to  him,  and  hope  to  ful- 
fil the  cherished  wish  of  my  heart?  And  you  know  well, 
O  El  Warda!"  he  added,  dropping  his  voice,  "what 
that  wish  ever  has  been." 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  237 

The  girl  looked  bewildered  and  perplexed  —  passed 
her  hand  over  her  brow,  as  though  to  clear  away  a  mist 
gathering  over  her  sight,  and  said  softly : 

"Indeed,  Daoud,  I  did  not  doubt  you,  for  I  re- 
membered the  days  when  we  were  as  brother  and  sister 

—  eating  of  the  same  bread  —  drinking  of  the  same  cup 

—  and  studying  out  of  the  same  book ;  and  that  is  not 
so  very  long  ago,  although  years  seem  to  me  to  have  been 
crowded  into  the  last  few  weeks.     But  my  father  is  dead 
— my  brother  has  gone  I  know  not  whither — or  whether 
he  will  return — and  the  desperate  hope  came  to  me,  that 
you  might  know  and  tell  me,  and  give  me  counsel  what 
to  do,  though  my  father  warned  me  not  to  trust  you,  even 
with  his  almost  dying  breath.     Surely,  you  could  not  be 
so  base  and  cruel  as  to  deceive  me,  or  betray  the  friends 
of  your  childhood?" 

"The  suspicion  itself  is  an  insult,"  said  Daoud,  with 
an  air  of  wounded  pride.  ' '  That  is  a  question  I  cannot 
discuss,  even  with  you.  If  you  still  regard  me  as  worthy 
of  your  confidence,  tell  me  what  I  can  do  to  serve  you  — 
and  yours,"  he  added,  with  hesitation. 

"  Find  where  my  brother  is,  and  let  him  know  all  that 
has  happened  and  is  happening  here.  Give  him  advice 
what  is  the  safest  and  best  for  him  to  do ;  for  you  have  a 
ready  wit,  and  can  find  out  better  than  most  men.  Do 
this,  and  I  will  pray  for  you  to  Sitta  Mariam,  and  be  for 
ever  grateful ! ' ' 

"Gratitude  is  but  a  chilly  recompense,"  said  the  young 
man,  gloomily.  "  I  need  more." 

"Well,  then,  I  will  regard  you  as  my  second  brother !" 
said  the  girl,  pleadingly. 

"Mine  is  not  a  brother's  love  for  you,"  responded 
Daoud,  almost  fiercely  ;  "  it  is  a  frantic,  frenzied  passion 


238  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

— a  certainty  that  you  must  be  mine  only  —  mine  wholly, 
or  I  shall  die  —  a  dream  that  visits  my  nights  and  haunts 
my  waking  hours  —  that  curses  and  blesses  my  existence 
equally  —  and  that  finally  will  drive  me  mad  or  desperate, 
if  it  meets  no  requital.  O,  El  Warda !  whose  step  is 
lighter  than  the  gazelle's;  whose  voice  is  sweeter  than 
music ;  whose  face  and  form  is  more  lovely  than  those 
of  Houris  —  and  whose  presence  alone  in  this  chamber 
makes  it  a  heaven  to  me  —  smile  upon  me  !  Make  me 
the  happiest  of  living  men,  by  telling  me  that  I  may  have 
hope  —  that  you  will  not  condemn  me  to  sit  for  ever, 
like  the  lost  Jinns,  gnashing  my  teeth  in  darkness,  with 
the  glories  of  the  opening  heaven  shining  within  my  sight, 
though  shut  and  barred  out  forever  to  me,  as  to  them  !  " 

As  he  closed  this  impassioned  appeal,  he  sought  to 
seize  the  girl's  hand,  and  throw  himself  at  her  feet  in  an 
agony  of  impassioned  supplication. 

But  El  Warda  gently,  but  firmly,  repulsed  him,  re- 
proachfully saying : 

"  O  Daoud  !  Is  this  a  time  or  a  place  to  speak  thus 
to  a  poor,  weak  girl,  who  comes  to  throw  herself  on  a 
brother's  friendship?  Can  I  think  of  love,  with  my 
dear  old  father  lying  dead  on  his  divan,  and  but  a  few 
moments  since  having  passed  from  the  house  of  mourn- 
ing? While  my  brother,  Askaros,  is  now  a  fugitive  — 
perhaps  a  corpse  on  the  desert ;  for  the  horrible  Kham- 
seen  has  been  blowing  all  day,  and  thither  he  fled  but 
two  days  since.  Or,  if  escaped  that  peril,  dead  perhaps 
for  ever  to  me ;  since  he  never  would  have  left  his  father 
and  his  home  had  it  been  safe  for  him  to  stay  in  Egypt. 
How  can  you  expect  me  to  trust,  or  even  to  respect  you, 
if  you  are  so  selfish,  and  abuse  my  confidence  in  you 
thus  ? ' '  And  the  soft  dark  eyes  were  suffused  with  tears 
she  could  no  longer  suppress. 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  239 

A  wild  joy  flashed  through  the  heart  of  the  Syrian,  not 
only  at  the  hope  conveyed  by  her  words,  but  on  learning 
the  route  which  Askaros  had  taken,  as  well.  In  his 
vivid  imaginings,  he  already  saw  the  bones  of  the  man  he 
regarded  as  his  only  rival,  bleaching  on  the  sands  of  the 
desert.  But  he  only  bowed  his  head,  as  in  contrition, 
and  excused  the  ardor  of  his  language  by  the  warmth  of 
his  passion,  pleading  for  forgiveness,  and  promising  to 
sin  thus  no  more ;  and  the  girl,  like  most  of  her  sex,  was 
willing  to  pardon  the  fault,  in  view  of  its  cause. 

But,  although  her  distrust  was  removed,  she  was  mind- 
ful of  that  parting  injunction  of  the  elder  Askaros,  and  did 
not  inform  the  Syrian  of  her  meditated  removal,  after  the 
burial  of  her  father,  to  the  dwelling  of  Moussa-ben -Israel. 

Therefore,  after  receiving  many  promises  from  Daoud 
as  to  the  efforts  he  would  make  to  discover  and  com- 
municate with  her  brother,  the  young  girl  summoned  her 
companion  —  her  favorite  servant  and  guardian  from 
childhood  —  and  retraced  her  steps  to  the  home  once  so 
happy,  but  now  only  the  tomb  of  her  affections  ;  leaving 
the  Syrian  in  a  frame  of  mind  he  himself  would  have 
found  it  difficult  to  analyze  —  the  wildest  hope  and  joy 
conflicting  with  the  blackest  grief  and  despair. 

All  that  night  he  rested  not ;  and  the  belated  reveller 
or  intriguer,  skulking  homeward  through  the  Ezbekieh, 
late  in  the  night  or  at  early  dawn,  looking  up  at  his  win- 
dow, where  still  shone  the  light  of  his  lamp,  and  seeing 
his  light  figure  rapidly  moving  to  and  fro,  would  smile 
and  say  to  himself: 

"  What  a  student,  truly,  is  Uaoud-ben-Youssouf !  " 

And  a  student  he  was  !  but,  like  Faust,  of  things  un- 
holy; and  his  "  familiar,"  Mephistopheles,  who  led  him 
on  blindfold  over  the  path  that  leads  to  perdition,  was 
not  at  his  side,  but  seated  within  his  own  soul. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

UNDER   THE   TENTS   OF   THE    BENI-HASSAN. 

THE  long,  low,  black  tents  of  the  Bedouins  of  the 
tribe  of  Beni-Hassan  were  pitched  in  the  fertile 
valley  near  Jericho,  of  which  once  famous  city  the  name 
now  only  remains  —  not  a  trace  even  of  its  walls,  which 
fell  before  the  blasts  of  Joshua's  trumpets,  being  per- 
ceptible. 

The  ruins  of  the  ancient  aqueducts,  which  formerly 
conveyed  water  from  Jericho  to  Jerusalem,  alone  attest 
the  fact  of  the  existence  of  a  city  on  that  site,  now 
covered  by  the  mud  huts  of  a  small  Arab  village.  Squat- 
ting among  the  ruins  of  an  old  fort  constructed  during 
the  Crusades,  may  be  found  the  Sheik  of  this  village,  who 
appropriated  it  to  his  use,  and  made  it  his  residence. 

The  valley  is  one  of  great  fertility,  and  under  careful 
cultivation ;  and  the  rich  verdure  which  clothes  it  con- 
trasts strongly  with  the  iron  mountains  which  shut  it  in 
on  one  side,  and  the  sterile  desert  which  leads  to  the 
Dead  Sea  and  Jordan  on  the  other. 

In  the  very  heart  of  this  fertile  valley  the  wandering 
tribe  of  the  Beni-Hassan  were  encamped  for  a  time — the 
tent  of  their  great  Sheik,  Abou-Gosh,  being  only  dis- 
tinguishable from  that  of  the  others  by  its  superior  size, 

240 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  24! 

and  his  long  spear,  with  its  pennon,  sticking  upright  in 
the  ground  in  front  of  it,  in  token  of  his  remaining  some 
time  at  that  spot. 

Flocks  and  herds  of  goats,  sheep  and  cattle,  browsed 
around,  tended  by  a  few  wild-looking  Bedouins,  easily 
distinguishable  from  the  common  Fellah,  or  peasant,  by 
their  dress,  and  wild  untamed  look. 

At  the  door  of  his  tent,  smoking  his  nargileh,  sat  the 
great  chief  himself,  like  another  Abraham  —  to  the  pic- 
tures of  whom,  in  the  old  editions  of  the  Bible,  he  pre- 
sented a  striking  likeness.  So  grave  and  patriarchal  was 
his  aspect,  with  his  long,  white  beard,  stately  figure,  and 
calm,  composed  countenance,  that  no  one  would  have 
dreamed  him  to  be  the  great  robber  chief,  at  whose  name 
travellers  grew  pale,  and  who  levied  tribute  on  all  pass- 
ing from  Joppa  to  Jerusalem,  or  from  the  Holy  City  to 
Damascus.  His  face  and  mien,  however,  indicated  the 
habit  of  command  —  for  his  sway  over  his  own  people 
was  as  absolute  as  that  of  the  ancient  patriarch  to  whom 
he  had  been  likened ;  and  neither  to  the  Sultan,  nor  to 
the  Turkish  Governor  of  Syria,  did  he  own  any  allegi- 
ance, or  pay  any  tribute,  except  to  the  former,  as  chief 
of  "the  Faith"  and  spiritual  head  of  Islam. 

As  he  looked  over  the  green  valley  clad  in  the  bright 
livery  of  spring,  and  his  eyes  roved  over  the  countless 
flocks  and  herds,  an  expression  of  contentment  was  on  his 
face,  and  he  seemed  in  good  humor  with  himself,  and 
with  the  world.  No  care  appeared  to  disturb  his  serenity, 
as  he  slowly  inhaled  the  perfumed  smoke,  which  rose  in 
vapory  clouds  in  the  still  air.  A  light  step  behind  him, 
as  the  curtain  of  the  tent  was  pushed  aside ;  and  the 
slight  graceful  form  of  a  young  Arab  girl,  whose  unveiled 
face  was  sweet  in  expression  and  regular  in  features, 
21  Q 


242  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

though  of  a  pale  copper  color,  stood  still  in  the  opening, 
and  with  arms  meekly  crossed  over  her  bosom,  awaited 
his  notice. 

The  grand  old  face  of  Abou-Gosh  lit  up  with  pleasure 
at  the  sight  of  the  girl,  to  whom  he  spoke  in  tones  as  soft 
and  gentle  as  those  of  a  woman. 

"How  is  our  guest  to-day,  O  my  daughter?  Has 
Azrael  ceased  to  flap  his  black  wings  over  his  head? 
What  saith  thy  mother,  O  Amina  ?  for  well  skilled  is  she 
in  the  illness  that  kills,  and  the  herb  that  heals." 

"The  stranger  in  our  tents  is  greatly  better,  O  my 
father !  "  replied  the  girl,  in  a  voice  melodious  as  her  face 
was  sweet;  "and  my  mother  says  the  danger  is  now 
past ;  the  fever  is  gone,  and  the  sick  man  may  now  rise 
from  his  bed  and  breathe  the  fresh  air  again.  This  came 
I  to  tell  you." 

"Thy  voice  is  ever  to  me  like  that  of  one  bringing 
glad  tidings,"  responded  the  Sheik,  "  and  it  is  doubly 
so  to-day.  For  this  youth  is  the  son  of  one  of  my  oldest 
friends,  a  good  man,  though  a  Nazarene,  and  the  boy's 
own  looks  please  me  much.  Do  they  please  thee,  my 
daughter?" 

The  girl  blushed  through  her  dusky  skin  at  the  ques- 
tion, and  bent  her  head  in  maidenly  modesty,  but  she 
answered  with  the  frankness  of  her  training : 

"I.  have  sat  by  the  bedside  of  the  young  Frank,  O  my 
father,  for  many  days  past;  and  I  cannot  but  feel  an 
interest  in  the  stranger,  who  is  truly  very  handsome,  and 
whose  voice  is  like  music — very  unlike  those  of  our  own 
people  !  " 

The  old  Sheik  laughed  gently  under  his  beard,  but 
only  said : 

"  Now  go  my  child,  and  tell  thy  mother,  if  she  thinks 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  243 

it  will  do  him  good,  to  bid  him  clothe  himself  and  sit 
here  by  my  side ;  for  this  fresh  air  will  do  him  more 
good  than  all  the  drugs  of  the  Hakeem  !  or  even  the 
herbs  triat  she  is  so  cunning  to  compound."  And  the 
girl  disappeared  again  within  the  tent. 

Shortly  afterward,  while  the  great  Sheik  still  sat  smok- 
ing, apparently  meditating  over  some  serious  thought, 
the  curtain  of  the  tent  was  again  pushed  back,  and  Askaros 
appeared.  The  Sheik,  rising  from  his  cushions  with 
grave  dignity,  welcomed  him,  and  motioned  for  him  to 
take  a  seat  beside  him,  proffering  the  mouth-piece  of  the 
nargileh  to  him,  from  which,  after  having  taken  a  few  in- 
halations, the  young  man  returned  the  tube  to  his  host. 

"I  trust  thou  art  again  well,"  was  the  Sheik's  saluta- 
tion ;  "and  that  the  breath  of  the  evil  Genii,  who  chased 
thee  across  the  desert,  now  no  longer  poisons  thy  veins. 
My  wife,  who  is  well  skilled  in  the  lore  of  the  Hakeems, 
tells  me  that  thou  needest  now  only  rest  and  pure  air  to 
regain  thy  lost  strength,  and  that  all  peril  to  life  hath 
passed." 

The  young  man  briefly  declared  his  convalescence,  and 
made  his  acknowledgments  to  his  host,  for  the  kindness 
and  care  to  which  he  owed  his  life. 

But  the  Sheik  checked  the  expression  of  them,  briefly 
saying : 

"As  much  would  I  have  done  for  any  passing  stranger, 
and  thou  art  not  a  stranger  to  me ;  for  the  son  of  thy 
father  hath  many  claims  on  Abou-Gosh,  who  never  hath 
failed  friend  or  foe.  It  hath  been  a  great  pleasure  to  me 
to  do  any  service  to  the  son  of  one  I  love  so  well." 

Three  weeks  had  passed  since  Askaros  bad  been  brought 
to  the  tents  of  the  Bedouins,  upon  a  camel,  stretched  in 


244  ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS. 

a  state  of  utter  unconsciousness  by  a  fever,  which  seemed 
to  dry  up  all  the  springs  of  life. 

During  that  period  he  was  at  first  ignorant  of  all  that 
was  passing  around  him ;  but,  as  his  convalescence  com- 
menced, he  became  conscious  of  the  presence  of  a  light 
airy  female  form,  flitting  near  his  couch,  felt  occasionally 
the  timid  touch  of  a  soft,  cool  hand  upon  his  fevered 
brow,  and  heard  the  music  of  a  low,  sweet  voice  chanting 
the  plaintive  melodies  of  the  children  of  the  desert.  As 
he  grew  better,  and  his  eyes  could  bear  the  glare  of  day- 
light, he  saw  the  face  and  figure  of  the  young  Bedouin  girl 
just  described ;  and  it  afforded  him  a  dreamy  enjoyment  to 
watch  her  flitting  around  him,  and  through  the  tent,  half 
closing  his  eyes,  that  she  might  not  know  he  was  watch- 
ing her. 

At  length  he  ventured  to  accost  her,  and  had  short 
conversations  with  her  and  her  mother,  a  comely  matron 
of  middle  age,  who  was  always  there,  but  in  whose  move- 
ments and  conversation  the  young  man  did  not  take  so 
deep  an  interest.  From  them  he  learned  that  the  caravan, 
when  it  reached  the  shelter  to  which  their  guide  had  con- 
ducted himself  and  Ferraj,  had  found  him  delirious  and 
stricken  with  fever,  and  had  borne  him  across  the  desert 
to  the  safe  refuge  where  he  now  was,  as  the  guest  of  the 
Great  Sheik  Abou-Gosh. 

Inquiring  for  the  faithful  Nubian,  he  was  told  he  too 
was  safe,  and  in  the  tents ;  on  hearing  which  the  young 
man,  with  sigh  of  deep  relief,  breathed  a  short  prayer  to 
the  Virgin  for  all  her  mercies,  and  sunk  again  into  peace- 
ful slumber. 

Now,  although  the  crisis  of  his  disease  was  over,  the 
young  man  still  felt  himself  incapable  of  much  exertion 
of  body  or  mind,  so  worn  and  wasted  was  he  by  his  ill- 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  24$ 

ness :  and  his  host,  perceiving  it,  forbore  to  excite  him, 
and  forbade  his  talking  of  himself,  or  of  his  affairs,  until 
he  was  stronger,  with  that  absence  of  curiosity  and  true 
hospitality  which  characterizes  the  Oriental  in  his  deal- 
ings with  the  stranger  who  shares  his  salt. 

Another  week  passed,  and  Askaros  in  the  interval  had 
been  so  far  restored  to  his  usual  vigor,  as  to  have  mounted 
a  horse  and  accompanied  the  Bedouins  on  an  excursion 
to  the  Dead  Sea  and  the  Jordan,  which  was  the  limit  of 
Abou-Gosh's  authority,  the  opposite  bank  being  under 
the  dominion  of  a  rival  chieftain,  with  whose  people  the 
Beni-Hassan  were  ever  in  a  state  of  quasi  war. 

With  them,  too,  he  witnessed  the  chase  of  the  gazelle 
over  the  desert,  where  they  hunted  with  trained  hawks, 
much  after  the  fashion  of  the  knights  and  ladies  in  the 
Middle  Ages,  only  for  different  game,  the  manner  of 
which  was  thus :  mounted  on  their  Arab  horses,  and  ac- 
companied by  the  fleet  Syrian  greyhounds,  with  their 
long  feathery  tails,  they  would  start  up  the  gazelle  from 
its  hiding-place,  which  would  soon  outstrip  the  pursuit  of 
the  fastest  horse  and  fleetest  dog  among  them. 

Then  with  a  peculiar  cry,  launching  the  hawk  into  the 
air,  he  would  circle  up  until  lost  into  a  mere  speck  hang- 
ing in  blue  ether,  then  swoop  down  like  a  lightning-flash 
on  the  head  of  the  quarry,  buffeting  its  face,  and  blind- 
ing its  eyes  with  its  strong  wings.  The  gazelle  would 
soon  rid  itself  of  its  feathered  assailant,  by  striking  its 
head  upon  the  ground,  and  then  resume  its  flight.  But 
the  pertinacious  foe  would  come  down  upon  its  head 
again  and  again,  repeating  its  assault,  until  at  length, 
blinded  and  wearied  by  the  incessant  attacks,  and  con- 
fused by  the  cries  of  the  huntsmen  and  chase  of  the  dogs, 

21* 


246  ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS. 

the  exhausted  gazelle  would  be  caught  by  the  greyhounds, 
or  speared  by  the  Bedouins. 

Partaking  in  this  chase,  he  soon  won  the  admiration  of 
the  Arabs  for  his  perfect  horsemanship,  an  accomplish- 
ment they  prize  above  all  others ;  and  his  reputation  soon 
reached  the  gratified  ears  of  Abou-Gosh  and  his  women, 
who  felt  a  pride  that  the  young  man  was  worthy  of  their 
care  and  hospitality. 

So  matters  went  on,  until  one  morning,  when,  sitting 
in  front  of  the  tents  with  his  host,  Askaros,  after  telling 
him  his  story  and  his  present  plight,  announced  his  in- 
tention of  trespassing  no  longer  on  his  hospitality,  and 
of  taking  his  departure. 

Abou-Gosh  did  not  immediately  respond.  He  seemed 
to  reflect  seriously  for  some  minutes,  as  though  revolving 
in  his  mind  the  tale  which  had  been  told  him,  then  rais- 
ing his  head,  and  looking  him  full  in  the  face  with  his 
bright  dark  eye,  as  untamed  as  that  of  an  eagle,  yet  not 
without  a  certain  softness  lurking  in  its  depths,  said : 

"Poor  boy!  hard  is  thy  fate! — sad  thy  past,  and 
gloomy  thy  present  and  future  !  I  know  Abbas  Pasha 
well.  Thou  hast  provoked  the  hate  of  no  common 
enemy.  But  where  dost  thou  propose  to  go,  on  leaving 
those  friendly  tents?" 

"  I  scarcely  know,"  replied  Askaros  sadly;  "all  the 
earth  is  a  place  of  exile  to  me  now.  But  I  shall  go  first 
to  Joppa  on  the  sea,  and  there  I  will  decide  whither  to 
direct  my  steps.  Possibly  I  may  go  to  the  land  of  the 
Franks. ' ' 

"  Why  shouldst  thou  leave  thy  birthplace,  and  the  home 
of  thine  own  race,  to  go  among  the  Frank  strangers, 
whose  ways  of  life  and  whose  religion  is  so  different  — 
ay,  more  widely  apart  from  thine  than  ours  are? 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  247 

"Why  needest  thou  leave  at  all !  "  he  added,  fixing 
his  bright  eye  full  on  the  young  man's;  "already  our 
people  love  thee,  and  praise  thy  skill  in  all  manly  sports, 
as  equal  to  that  of  any  born  Bedouin.  Stay,  then,  with 
us  under  our  tents.  Rude  as  they  are,  they  are  better 
than  the  Egyptian  prisons,  or  the  homes  of  the  infidel 
Franks,  for  one  born  and  bred  in  the  East.  For  I  have 
seen  enough  of  them  travelling  here  in  Syria  to  know,  as 
I  said  before,  that  their  ways,  and  even  their  religion, 
which  they  call  the  same  as  thine,  are  as  different  as 
their  costumes  and  their  speech." 

Ere  the  young  man,  in  his  speechless  surprise  at  this 
unexpected  proposition,  could  collect  himself  sufficiently 
to  reply,  the  old  Sheik  still  more  gravely  resumed,  laying 
as  he  spoke  his  swarthy  right  hand,  on  which  the  sinews 
stood  out  like  cords,  on  the  shoulder  of  Askaros,  as  a 
father  might  on  a  son's. 

"Hearken  unto  my  words,"  be  said,  gravely,  "and 
reflect  before  you  decide.  My  sway  over  the  Beni- 
Hassan,  as  thou  knowest,  is  great :  and  my  will  their 
law.  I  have  no  son  to  succeed  me,  and  I  am  growing 
old.  If  thou  wilt  consent,  I  will  adopt  thee  as  my  son, 
and  as  the  heir  to  my  wealth,  which  is  great  in  flocks  and 
herds,  and  to  my  rule  over  this  tribe.  To  confirm  this 
more  strongly,  and  to  please  my  people,  I  will  give  thee 
in  marriage  the  daughter  of  my  old  age,  Amina.  who  is 
fair  to  look  upon,  and  a  woman  any  man  might  love, 
who  hath  helped  to  bring  thee  out  of  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death  by  her  gentle  ministering. 

"And  I  am  the  more  tempted  to  make  thee  this  offer, 
because  I  suspect  that  the  young  girl  loveth  thee,  even 
as  Rachel  loved  Jacob,  though  possibly  she  knoweth  it 
not  fully  herself.  But  a  father's  eye  cannot  be  deceived. 


248  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

Say  !  wilt  thou  be  the  son  of  Abou-Gosh,  and  his  succes- 
sor, and  find  rest  and  peace  under  the  tents  of  the  Beni- 
Hassan  ?  Reflect  well  upon  it,  and  give  me  an  answer 
at  sundown!  " 

And,  gathering  his  robes  about  him,  Abou-Gosh  rose 
from  his  cushions  and  passed  beneath  his  tent,  leaving 
the  young  man  sitting  alone,  too  much  overpowered  by 
the  strangeness  of  the  offer  to  utter  a  syllable  in  reply. 

Yet  the  offer,  wild  as  it  seemed  —  that  he,  with  his 
Frank  culture  and  civilized  tastes,  should  relapse  into  the 
primitive  existence  of  the  Bedouin  —  half  shepherd,  half 
robber  —  was  not  without  its  temptations,  making  an  ap- 
peal to  the  romantic  side  of  his  character.  From  the 
midst  of  a  confused  turmoil  of  plots,  stratagems  and  in- 
trigues, he  had  passed  suddenly,  as  through  the  valley 
of  the  shadow  of  death,  into  the  repose  of  this  new  and 
primitive  existence,  a  reflection  of  the  days  of  the  ancient 
patriarchs,  when  Lot  and  Abraham  divided  their  flocks 
and  herds,  and  parcelled  out  the  domain  of  their  world 
between  them.  Here,  at  least,  the  wearied  brain  could 
find  repose,  the  wearied  body  rest,  and  the  anxious  spirit 
steep  itself  in  oblivion,  and  find  nepenthe. 

The  lotus-eaters  of  the  days  of  Ulysses  might  have  led 
more  torpid  lives,  but  never  could  have  enjoyed  more 
immunity  from  mere  worldly  cares,  than  the  Sheik  of  this 
pastoral  tribe,  who  was  absolute  master  of  the  smiling 
and  fertile  valleys,  hemmed  in  by  the  high  mountain 
ranges  from  all  foreign  intrusion,  stretching  down,  with 
interspaces  of  arid  desert,  to  the  sea  on  one  side,  and  the 
hill  country  of  Judea  on  the  other. 

Then,  too,  the  girl  who  was  offered  to  him  in  marriage 
was  passing  fair !  and  pure  as  the  snowflakes  which 
crested  Mount  Lebanon,  in  mind  and  heart. 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  249 

True,  she  was  only  a  savage  !  a  child  of  the  wilder- 
ness !  born  and  bred  under  tents,  with  no  mental  cul- 
ture, and  not  the  most  vague  conception  of  the  civiliza- 
tion which  he  had  seen  abroad,  and  set  up  as  his  ideal, 
and  which  he  saw  personified  fully,  for  the  first  time,  in 
the  person  of  the  American  maiden. 

True  !  but  she  had  repudiated  the  warm  outgush  of  his 
affection  and  admiration,  with  words  and  gestures  of 
wondering  scorn,  when  he  dared  shadow  it  out  to  her, 
on  that  memorable  day  when  he  had  avenged  himself  by 
afterward  saving  her  life ;  and  never  since  had  his  eyes 
looked  upon  her — most  probably  in  this  life  never  would 
again,  for  he  was  now  a  fugitive,  and  her  presence  in 
Egypt  was  as  evanescent  and  fleeting  as  the  mirage  which 
had  mocked  his  vision  on  the  desert.  Why  should  he 
pursue  a  phantom,  when  he  might  grasp  a  warm,  living, 
glowing,  substantial  reality,  now  so  near  him?  for  he 
doubted  not  that  the  great  Sheik,  so  wary  and  so  wise, 
had  not  spoken  without  knowing  the  real  state  of  his 
daughter's  heart !  He  might  also  be  King  of  Syria,  if  he 
chose  !  Should  he  abandon  that  certainty,  to  chase  a 
flying  phantom  over  the  world,  which  his  reason  told 
him  he  would  never  clasp  ! 

Absorbed  in  these  reveries,  he  closed  his  eyes,  and 
before  him  came  the  vision,  as  in  a  panoramic  view,  of 
the  first  time  he  had  seen  the  fair  American  girl,  standing 
framed  in  the  rude  stone  window  of  the  Hotel  d' Orient ; 
her  blonde  tresses  floating  over  her  brow  of  snow  and 
blushing  cheeks,  her  large  blue  eyes  shooting  down  rays 
of  mingled  wonder  and  admiration  on  the  Egyptian  cav- 
alier and  his  white  charger,  contending  for  the  mastery 
beneath  her  casement. 

And  at  that  view  of  past  rapture,  faded  at  once  and 


250  ASKAROS    K 'ASS IS. 

forever  trom  his  soul  the  mirage  vision  of  the  pastoral 
Bedouin  existence,  with  its  simple  cares  and  barren 
hopes  ;  and  the  image  of  the  Arab  girl,  in  contrast  with 
that  apparition  of  true  womanhood,  seemed  something 
scarce  above  the  animal  creation,  or  the  brutes  that 
perish.  He  unclosed  his  eyes  with  a  start,  for  the 
familiar  voice  of  Ferraj  sounded  in  his  ears,  and  looking 
up,  he  beheld  the  faithful  Nubian,  his  dress  disarranged 
and  splashed  with  mud  and  soil,  as  though  from  hard 
riding,  the  beads  of  sweat  dripping  from  his  brow,  stand- 
ing before  him.  In  his  hand  he  held  a  scroll,  sealed 
like  an  Eastern  letter,  which  he  extended  to  his  master. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  this,  Ferraj,  and  whence 
came  you  ? ' ' 

"From  El  Khuds,  (the  Holy  City,)  and  this  is  a 
writing  for  the  Effendi,  entrusted  to  his  slave  by  the 
consul,  to  whom  it  was  given  by  Jona-dab-bar-Elias,  the 
Hebrew,  who  had  it  from  Egypt." 

Wondering  from  whom  the  letter  might  be,  Askaros 
tore  open  the  envelope,  and  found  on  a  slip  of  paper  the 
words  which  follow,  in  Arabic  characters  : 

"  Moussa-  ben  -Israel,  of  Cairo,  sends  greeting  to 
Askaros  Kassis,  who,  he  learns  from  one  of  his  own 
people  at  Jerusalem,  is  now  the  guest  of  the  Great  Sheik 
of  the  Beni-Hassan,  Abou-Gosh,  with  whom  may  peace 
abide  !  It  imports  him  to  know  that  his  sister,  El  Warda, 
is  now  safe  under  the  humble  roof  of  the  writer,  her 
father's  oldest  friend,  and  cannot  be  found  by  any  who 
seek  to  do  her  wrong.  Of  this  be  sure.  It  grieves  me 
to  tell  Askaros  that  he  is  now  sole  living  bearer  of  that 
name ;  his  father,  and  my  friend,  went  to  his  rest  on  the 
nth  day  of  Sciawal,  at  peace  with  himself  and  all  men. 
He  died  without  pain,  going  out  quietly,  even  as  the 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  2$  I 

nargileh  he  was  inhaling  when  the  death-angel  sum- 
moned him.  Grieve  not  overmuch,  for  he  died  full  of 
years  and  honors,  a  just  man  made  perfect.  The  earth 
is  for  the  living,  not  the  dead,  therefore,  let  Askaros  look 
to  his  own  needs.  Let  him  take  warning,  and  confide 
nothing  to  him  he  has  heretofore  considered  his  best 
friend  at  Cairo,  and  his  father's  also,  for  he  is  even  as 
was  Joab,  who,  while  taking  Amasa  by  the  hand,  and 
asking,  'Art  thou  in  health,  my  brother?'  smote  him 
with  his  left  hand  under  the  ribs,  so  that  his  bowels 
gushed  out  and  he  died  ! 

' '  Let  him  take  warning  from  that  example  of  friend- 
ship !  I  say  no  more ;  for,  though  a  young  man,  he  to 
whom  this  is  written  is  wise  for  his  years. 

"A  letter  sent  through  the  same  channel  as  this  com- 
eth,  will  reach  the  sister  and  living  friends  of  Askaros, 
whom  may  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  (who 
is  the  God  of  the  Nazarene  as  well  as  of  the  Hebrew,) 
guide  and  guard,  and  have  in  His  Holy  keeping !  Selah  ! ' ' 

Signed  in  black  wax  to  this  scroll  was  the  seal  of 
Moussa-ben-Israel,  in  Hebrew  characters.  A  postscript 
had  also  been  added,  which  ran  as  follows  : 

"Also  am  I  charged  by  the  consul-general,  his  protec- 
tor, to  tell  Askaros,  that  in  whatever  land  he  may  seek 
refuge,  there  will  he  find  a  representative  of  his  nation, 
through  whom  he  may  confer  with  home  and  friends, 
and  with  himself.  He  further  promises  to  spare  no  pains 
or  influence  to  secure  the  safety  and  speedy  return  of 
Askaros  to  his  native  land." 

The  receipt  of  this  seemed  to  awaken  the  young  man 
from  his  day-dreams,  and  cause  a  complete  revulsion  in 
his  thoughts  and  feelings. 

It  roused  him  to  the  recollection  that  he  had  duties 


252  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

toward  others  to  perform,  apart  from  his  own  ease  and 
comfort,  which  he  could  not  honorably  renounce  for  the 
tranquil  existence,  of  which  he  had  been  dreaming  a  few 
moments  before. 

His  father's  fair  fame,  and  his  sister's  safety,  both 
called  trumpet-tongued  upon  him  to  shake  off  both  sloth 
and  sensual  selfishness,  and  act  like  a  man. 

And  over  and  above  all  these  considerations,  blending 
with,  as  though  part  and  parcel  of  them,  shone  the  fair 
face  of  the  American  girl,  like  that  he  had  often  prostra- 
ted himself  before  in  worship  at  Cairo,  in  the  solemn 
niche  of  the  old  Coptish  Church  of  the  Virgin,  in  those 
days  of  sunshine  never  to  be  his  again. 

The  spell  was  broken.  The  lotus-eater  rose  from  his 
bed  of  asphodel,  where  he  had  been  soothed  to  slumber 
by  the  murmuring  music  of  drowsy  fountains  and  dron- 
ing voices,  an  awakened  and  energetic  man ;  once  more 
ready  to  act,  to  dare,  to  suffer,  as  a  man  must  in  a  world 
of  strife  and  struggle,  where  the  wrestler,  like  Antaeus 
of  old,  should  grow  the  stronger  after  every  fall,  and 
spring  up  re-invigorated  after  touching  his  mother  earth. 
Rising  up,  it  may  be,  with  some  stains  of  that  earth  upon 
him,  but  staining  not  his  inner  man  ;  for,  with  such  soil- 
ing of  the  body,  in  such  strife,  often  comes  purification 
of  the  soul. 

So,  at  the  appointed  hour,  the  young  Copt  met  the 
Great  Sheik,  with  a  calm  and  composed  countenance,  on 
which  the  resolve  of  his  soul  was  written,  and  while 
thanking  him  for  all  his  kindness,  and  for  the  last  and 
greatest  favor  of  all  which  he  meditated,  courteously  de- 
clined it,  explaining  and  pleading  his  own  duties.  He 
also  announced  his  intention  of  departing  on  the  ensuing 


ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

morning  for  Joppa,  with   his  faithful  Nubian,  there  to 
determine  his  future  course. 

With  the  stoicism  of  the  Indian  savage,  whom  indeed, 
the  Bedouin  much  resembles  in  many  points  of  appear- 
ance, life,  and  character,  Abou-Gosh  accepted  the  de- 
cision as  final,  wasting  no  words  in  useless  argument  or 
expostulation,  and  seemed  to  forget  the  subject.  But 
there  were  moist  eyes  under  the  tents  that  night,  when 
the  speedy  departure  of  the  stranger  was  announced  : 
and  one  woman's  heart  beat  high  with  indignation,  the 
other's  throbbing  with  a  dull  aching  pain,  and  vain  long- 
ing, at  the  news.  For  both  mother  and  daughter  had 
hoped  that  the  proposal  of  the  Great  Sheik  to  their  guest 
—  on  which  he  had  consulted  them  —  would  have  been 
thankfully  accepted. 

So,  at  the  first  gray  glimmer  of  dawn,  on  the  next  day, 
Askaros  bade  farewell  to  Abou-Gosh,  and  to  the  tents  of 
the  Beni-Hassan,  unwitting  that  the  tearful  eyes  of  the 
Arab  maiden  strained  after  his  receding  form  with  a  long, 
wistful  gaze,  from  a  rent  in  the  canvas  of  the  tent,  and 
that  a  fond,  forgiving  heart  sent  a  benison  after  him. 

His  own  heart  was  heavy  and  sad  enough,  as  over  the 
still  and  sterile  mountains  of  the  hill  country  of  Judea 
he  took  his  way  back  to  Jerusalem  and  Joppa,  on  his  re- 
turn to  what  men  call  civilization — the  simple  patriarch- 
al life,  like  the  black  tents,  fading  away  from  his  view  as 
he  left  that  peaceful  valley  —  never  again  to  return. 
22 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

THE    BRIDE   OF  THE  SEA. 

BEAUTIFUL  art  thou  still,  O  sad  city  !  that  sittest 
by  the  sea,  like  another  Niobe,  weeping  for  thy  chil- 
dren and  for  thy  glories,  which  have  vanished  and  return 
not. 

Lovely  in  thy  weeds  of  widowhood,  with  thy  marble 
palaces  crumbling  to  decay ;  thy  black  hearse-like  gondo- 
las gliding  over  slimy  and  almost  deserted  waters :  thy 
women  all  in  mourning  ;  the  best  and  bravest  of  thy  sons 
eating  the  bitter  bread  of  exile,  or  vainly  striving  to 
break  the  chains  which  fetter  limbs  and  soul ;  lovely  in 
spite  of  these,  in  thy  hectic  glow  of  decline,  like  a  fair 
consumptive,  art  thou  still,  O  Venice ! 

The  scene  shifts  from  the  sands  of  the  desert  and  the 
black  tents  of  the  Bedouins,  to  the  old  city  of  the  Doges, 
where  the  lion  of  St.  Mark's  crouches  under  the  Austrian 
eagle,  and  the  steeds  of  brass,  glittering  in  the  sun,  have 
succumbed  to  a  stronger  than  Doria,  and  are  bridled  at 
last. 

It  was  at  a  period  when  the  Austrian  rule  seemed  more 
firmly  fastened  on  Venice  than  ever ;  and  when  her  gov- 
ernment seemed  crushed  out  of  nationality  into  a  military 

254 


ASA'AROS    /CASSIS.  255 

district  upheld  by  the  bayonets  of  a  foreign  soldiery ; 
while  her  people,  broken  in  fortune  and  bankrupt  of 
hope,  sullenly  and  sadly  submitted  to  a  doom  they  were 
powerless  to  avert.  Saddest  spectacle  under  the  sun  is 
such  a  contrast ;  where  the  gifts  of  Nature  and  the  prod- 
igal profusion  with  which  she  has  endowed  both  place 
and  people — bathed  in  the  brightest  sunlight  under  the 
bluest  of  skies  —  are  all  rendered  sources  not  of  pleas- 
ure, but  of  pain,  by  the  cruelty  of  a  conqueror. 

Such  was  Venice  in  the  early  winter  of  1854,  when  a 
party  of  foreigners,  lodging  in  one  of  the  palaces  over- 
looking the  grand  lagoon,  were  passing  a  season  there ; 
gliding  over  her  silent  canals  in  the  noiseless  gondola, 
and  visiting  her  sad,  old  churches  and  the  palaces  of  her 
doges  and  princes,  with  their  rare  wealth  of  pictures  by 
the  old  masters,  still  the  attraction  and  the  charm,  which 
invite  and  keep  the  stranger  spell-bound  in  that  city  of 
the  dead. 

They  are  old  friends  of  ours,  these  foreigners,  whom 
we  have  met  in  Cairo  and  up  the  Nile ;  and  few  changes 
have  taken  place  in  their  appearance  or  outward  seem- 
ing, drifting  as  they  have  all  been  upon  the  smooth  tides 
of  a  summer  sea,  and  only  seeking  pleasure  in  novel  ex- 
citements, as  they  have  rambled  leisurely  from  place  to 
place. 

Old  Van  Camp  looks  as  rotund  and  as  ruddy  and  pla- 
cid as  ever  ;  the  chaste  Priscilla  as  angular  in  face  and 
form,  and  equally  dissatisfied.  The  younger  Van  Camp 
is  fearfully  and  wonderfully  arrayed  in  the  most  exagger- 
ated of  English  travelling  costumes,  made  of  the  coarsest 
tweed  stuff,  of  the  loudest  pattern ;  the  short  shooting- 
jacket  with  the  innumerable  pockets,  the  tightest  of  panta- 
loons, and  the  most  complicated  straps  of  leather  cross- 


256  A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS. 

ing  and  recrossing  themselves  over  his  manly  chest ;  with 
a  small  Scotch  cap  with  silver  thistle  in  its  side,  not  shel- 
tering a  nose  grown  ruddy  and  swollen  from  exposure  to 
the  sun. 

Sir  Charles  is  with  the  party,  and  to  an  observant  eye, 
there  is  a  change  in  him,  slight  perhaps,  but  perceptible. 
The  reckless  carelessness  of  his  manner,  and  the  abrupt 
oddity  of  his  speech,  have  been  succeeded  by  a  measured 
formality  of  carriage  and  address.  He  is  stiffer  and 
colder  than  formerly,  and  talks  less.  His  old  humor 
seems  to  have  deserted  him,  with  his  accession  to  his  new 
title  —  for  his  father  was  dead,  and  he  is  now  a  peer  of 
Great  Britain.  There  is  a  look  almost  of  anxiety  or 
trouble  on  his  brow,  which  destroys  the  frank,  open  ex- 
pression it  used  to  wear.  Upon  -the  whole,  he  looks 
like  a  man  who  has  some  secret  care  weighing  upon  his 
mind,  which  he  cannot,  or  will  not  divulge,  and  which 
gnaws  him  secretly,  as  the  concealed  fox  did  the  Spartan 
in  the  old  story. 

Over  Edith,  too,  there  has  come  a  change  somewhat 
similar  to  that  observable  in  her  affianced ;  though  she 
looks  almost  as  fresh  and  fair  as  when  we  last  saw  her. 
She  has  apparently,  at  one  step,  passed  from  a  careless 
laughing  girl  into  a  quiet  serious  woman,  and  her  smile 
has  lost  its  great  charm,  of  irradiating  the  whole  face  like 
a  sunbeam  when  it  broke  forth.  She  looks  blase  and 
careless  prematurely,  and  the  eager  interest  she  formerly 
manifested  at  all  novel  sights,  has  been  succeeded  by  a 
polite  indifference  which  does  not  seem  natural  to  her. 
She  has  become  in  those  few  months  a  more  thoughtful 
and  more  elegant  woman,  and  the  most  fastidious  critic 
could  find  nothing  to  cavil  at,  in  her  cold,  calm  manner 
and  speech ;  but  the  gush  of  youthful  impulse  which  had 


A  SKA  R  OS    KA  S S 1 S. 

seemed  to  bubble  up  from  her  fresh  nature  before,  as 
from  a  pure  well-spring,  has  vanished  entirely,  and  her 
manner  is  as  composed  as  that  of  a  woman  of  middle 
age.  Whether  this  change  was  agreeable  or  acceptable 
to  her  affianced  lover  was  impossible  to  say,  for  their  in- 
tercourse was  as  constrained  and  guarded  now  as  the 
most  rigid  spinster  or  dowager  could  have  desired.  But 
the  pleasure  of  Sir  Charles  in  her  presence  did  not  seem 
so  great,  nor  his  own  manner  so  enthusiastic,  as  it  had 
been  on  that  memorable  evening  among  the  ruins  of 
Luxor,  when  he  declared  his  passion,  nor  after  their  first 
re-union  in  Europe.  The  cloud  had  risen  so  impercepti- 
bly and  so  gradually,  that,  until  it  hung  like  a  chilly  veil 
between  them,  neither  of  them  could  have  explained  how 
or  whence  it  first  arose. 

They  were  both  painfully  conscious  of  it,  however, 
though  each  strove  to  hide  that  consciousness  from  the 
other  and  from  themselves,  for  the  conditional  engage- 
ment was  now  understood  to  be  a  positive  one,  to  be 
consummated  the  ensuing  winter,  with  the  approval  of 
all  parties. 

Miss  Priscilla  Primmins  was  much  pleased  with  what 
she  deemed  the  great  improvement  in  the  manners  both 
of  Sir  Charles  and  her  niece  ;  and  was  loud  in  her  eulo- 
giums  thereupon,  very  little  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
latter,  to  whom  she  confided  her  opinions. 

"Did  you  ever  see  such  an  improvement,  my  dear,  in 
any  man's  manner  as  in  Sir  Charles's  !  "  she  would  cry 
out  enthusiastically,  after  he  had  been  especially  serious 
and  silent  during  the  visit  he  seemed  to  think  it  his  daily 
duty  to  make'  formally  —  having  some  near  relatives, 
stopping  at  another  hotel,  where  he  was  quartered. 

"  I  can  scarcely  believe  he  is  the  same  rattle-cap  who 

22*  R 


258  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

used  to  talk  so  much  nonsense,  and  be  actually  so  rude 
to  me  sometimes  at  Cairo  !  Why,  he  is  as  sedate  now, 
and  as  sensible  as  your  father.  It  is  wonderful  how  travel- 
ling does  improve  one  !  Don't  you  think  so,  Edith?  " 

The  girl,  thus  appealed  to,  would  vaguely  murmur  out 
her  assent,  and  the  spinster  would  continue : 

"And  I  notice  the  same  thing  in  you  too,  my  dear. 
You  used  to  be  a  tiresome  little  chit,  as  full  of  frolic  and 
fun  as  a  kitten,  and  quite  as  mischievous,  but  now  you 
really  look  and  act  as  Lady  Aylmer  ought  to  do  !  and 
one  would  suppose  from  your  dignified  manner  you  had 
passed  a  season  in  London  already,  been  presented  at 
Court,  and  lived  among  lords  and  ladies  all  your  life.  I 
never  did  see  so  great  a  change  in  so  short  a  time !  But 
I  begin  to  fear,  my  child,  that  your  new  rank  will  turn 
your  head,  and  you  will  be  ashamed  of  your  untitled  re- 
lations, and  very  naturally  too !  Perhaps  I  would  feel 
the  same  were  I  in  your  place  ;  for  I  am  not  a  fashion- 
able woman,  and  your  brother  is  certainly  not  present- 
able in  high  circles.  He  does  '  get  himself  up,'  as  he 
calls  it,  in  such  a  wonderful  way  —  looking  for  all  the 
world  like  a  gentleman's  groom,  or  a  sporting  char- 
acter." 

"Oh!  aunt,  how  can  you  talk  so?"  replied  Edith, 
tears  of  vexation  rising  up  into  her  blue  eyes.  "Indeed 
you  make  a  very  great  mistake.  I  have  none  of  those 
feelings,  but  quite  the  reverse.  I  do  wish,"  she  added, 
vehemently,  "there  were  no  such  thing  as  lords,  and 
ladies,  and  titles,  and  fashion  in  the  world !  for  while 
they  seem  of  vital  importance  to  others,  my  poor  repub- 
lican head  cannot  be  taught  to  put  any  value  upon  them, 
outside  of  their  owner's  merits.  For  I  believe  with 
Burns : 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  2$g 

1  The  rank  is  but  the  guinea's  stamp, 
A  man's  the  gowd  for  a'  that !  " 

"Hoity  toity!  what  nonsense,"  said  Miss  Priscilla. 
"Is  the  girl  distracted?  Suppose  Sir  Charles  were  to 
hear  you  uttering  such  vulgar  sentiments  ?  They  will  do 
very  well  in  America,  my  dear,  where,  by-the-by,  we 
never  practice  them  in  our  best  society;  but  here  in 
Europe  they  are  low,  absolutely  low  !  "  and  the  spinster 
made  a  wry  face,  as  though  compelled  to  swallow  some 
nauseous  mixture.  "My  dearest  Edith,  pray  do  not 
talk  in  that  wild  way.  I  say  again,  suppose  Sir  Charles 
were  to  hear  you,  what  would  he  think?  " 

"Well,"  said  Edith  with  some  spirit,  for  her  temper 
was  unequal  now,  not  even  as  formerly  —  "well !  suppose 
Sir  Charles  should  ?  what  then  ?  Is  a  woman  supposed 
to  sacrifice  utterly  all  her  own  thoughts  and  feelings  to 
the  man  she  marries  —  or  rather,  that  her  friends  marry 
her  to  —  and  become  a  mere  echo  of  his  ideas  and  opin- 
ions? Sir  Charles  knows  I  was  neither  born  nor  bred  an 
aristrocrat ;  and  there  are  many  points  on  which  our  views 
and  feelings  are  totally  dissimilar,  I  might  almost  say  dis- 
cordant. He  has  been  educated  in  one  school,  and  I  in 
another." 

"Very  true,  my  child;  but  you  will  very  soon  adapt 
yourself  to  your  new  sphere,  for  you  have  quite  the  '  air- 
noble  '  already.  How  do  you  like  Lady  Jane  Hoauton- 
ville  and  her  daughter,  his  cousins,  who  are  staying  at 
Danieli  Hotel  with  him?  " 

"Not  at  all!"  said  Edith,  promptly;  "I  think  them 
both  very  impertinent :  and  I  do  not  know  which  I  dis- 
like most,  the  patronizing  condescension  of  the  mother 
or  the  frigid  insolence  of  the  daughter  !  If  they  are  a 


260  1SKAAOS    KASSIS. 

fair  sample  of  Sir  Charles's  relations,  I  fear  we  shall  not 
agree  very  well.  He  seems  to  think  them  perfection,  and 
was  speaking  only  yesterday  of  Lady  Jane  as  a  perfect 
model  for  imitation,  and  how  fortunate  it  was  for  a 
daughter  to  have  such  a  mother.  I  had  to  bite  my  lips, 
for  fear  of  saying  something  rude." 

"Well,  my  dear,  we  should  call  her  'stuck  up'  in 
Boston,  that  is  a  fact ;  but  she  is  a  woman  of  title,  you 
know  —  grand-daughter  of  Lord  Bareacres  and  niece  of 
Lord  Squander ;  so,  being  so  highly  connected,  she  is 
naturally  proud,  and  puts  on  airs,  as  everybody  would. 
She  never  seems  to  see  me  at  all,  and  has  never  uttered 
a  syllable  to  me  since  we  first  met ;  but  she  is  a  very 
lady-like  person  —  when  she  chooses  to  be,"  added  Miss 
Priscilla,  sotto  voce,  determined  not  to  encourage  her 
niece  in  the  ideas  she  saw  fermenting  in  her  mind. 

For  Miss  Priscilla  had  made  up  her  mind  that  the 
match  with  Sir  Charles  was  a  great  thing ;  and  obsti- 
nately closed  her  eyes,  and  sought  also  to  shut  Edith's, 
to  everything  which  was  not  ' '  couleur  de  rose ' '  in  regard 
to  it. 

This  conversation,  which  was  only  one  of  many  sim- 
ilar ones,  will  show  the  nature  of  the  cloud  which  had 
been  gradually  rising  between  the  two  affianced ;  com- 
posed, it  is  true,  of  light,  floating  vapors,  and  small  dis- 
cordancies, yet  gradually  gaining  shape  and  consistency, 
until  it  opposed  a  veil  between  them,  and  made  their 
intercourse  far  more  awkward  and  constrained  than  it 
should  have  been  under  the  circumstances.  In  fact,  the 
first  romance  subsiding  into  a  less  bewildering  sentiment, 
Sir  Charles  soon  saw,  that  on  many  points,  not  only  of 
taste  but  of  feeling,  his  ideas  and  those  of  the  American 
girl  were  not  congenial,  especially  in  the  matter  of  social 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  26 1 

distinction,  and  the  deference  to  be  paid  to  rank  and 
position,  on  which  he  laid  great  stress.  Edith  differed 
entirely  from  him,  and  seemed  to  take  a  pleasure  in 
asserting  that  difference,  both  by  word  and  action,  to- 
ward the  titled  relatives  with  whom  he  was  travelling, 
and  whom  he  relied  on  to  introduce  and  pioneer  the 
future  Lady  Aylmer  on  her  introduction  into  "society," 
by  which  both  he  and  they  meant  the  elite  of  the  London 
world  only.  The  rest  of  mankind,  resting  outside  of  the 
charmed  circle,  being  regarded  as  "people  nobody 
knows. ' ' 

Matters  stood  in  this  uneasy  condition,  when  an  excur- 
sion was  proposed,  one  day,  to  visit  some  of  the  famous 
glass -factories  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  lagoons,  which 
Sir  Charles  volunteered  to  accompany,  without  his  female 
relatives. 

They  took  a  gondola  on  the  Grand  Canal ;  and  the 
two  gondoliers  in  their  picturesque  costumes  —  one  stand- 
ing just  on  the  front  of  the  cabin,  the  other  at  the  sharp 
stern  of  the  boat  —  rowed  swiftly  on  past  marble  palaces, 
crumbling  to  decay,  untenanted  now,  many  of  them, 
save  by  bats  or  owls,  and  others  serving  as  barracks  for 
Austrian  soldiers,  whose  white  uniforms  were  hung  out, 
in  lieu  of  draperies,  from  the  wide  windows,  and  who  sat 
smoking  their  short  pipes  at  the  doorways,  or  on  the 
window-sills  of  palaces  once  tenanted  by  the  Doges  and 
Senators  of  Venice,  the  Dorias,  Falieros,  and  others 
whose  names  are  historical. 

Yet  the  beauty  of  the  site,  and  of  the  marble  edifices 
which  covered  it,  could  not  be  wholly  obscured  by  the 
brutalities  of  man,  and  the  clear  blue  sky  reflected  in  the 
rippling  water,  as  they  glided  out  into  the  lagoons,  en- 


262  ASKAROS    KASSJS. 

hanced  the  pictorial  loveliness  of  the  scene,  when  look- 
ing back  upon  it. 

The  party  comprised  only  Mr.  Van  Camp  and  his 
sister-in-law,  Edith  and  Sir  Charles. 

Twilight  was  setting  in  as  they  swung  round  in  the 
gondola  to  return  to  the  distant  city,  now  dimly  visible 
through  the  evening  haze,  as  its  lights  began  to  twinkle 
like  dim  stars. 

The  sun  had  rushed  to  his  rest,  an  orb  of  burning  red, 
suddenly  dipping  down  and  disappearing  behind  the 
horizon — casting  no  lingering  glances  behind,  but  usher- 
ing in  the  evening  all  at  once ;  the  moon,  with  its  round 
silvery  shield,  shedding  its  soft  rays  over  water  and  sky, 
which  alone  were  visible  from  the  gondola. 

The  two  elders  of  the  party,  complaining  of  the  chilli- 
ness of  the  evening  air,  withdrew  into  the  cabin,  leaving 
Sir  Charles  and  Edith  alone  together — the  gondoliers  at 
each  end  of  the  boat  keeping  time  to  their  oars  in  a  low, 
measured  chant,  in  the  musical  Italian  tongue. 

The  softening  influences  of  the  scene  and  hour  were 
not  unfelt  by  the  two  young  hearts,  soon  to  be  united  in 
so  close  a  tie,  and  both  seemed  under  the  spell  of  their 
witchery.  Instinctively  they  drew  nearer  to  each  other, 
all  their  late  coolness  and  reserve  melting  away.  And 
as  Sir  Charles  took  the  small  hand  that  hung  listlessly  by 
the  fair  girl's  side,  he  pressed  it  warmly  in  his  own,  and 
gazed  fondly  in  her  face,  with  all  the  fervor  of  a  devoted 
lover.  A  chill  shot  through  his  heart  as,  with  the  un- 
erring instinct  of  true  affection,  he  felt  that  there  was  no 
reciprocal  ardor  in  the  heart  which  seemed  to  flutter  so 
wildly  in  the  young  girl's  bosom,  and  that  the  pressure 
was  not  returned  —  nay,  even  the  small  soft  hand  half 
withdrawn  from  his  own,  by  an  impulse  she  could  not 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  263 

control.  The  bright  blue  eyes  were  not  turned  toward 
his,  under  the  silvery  sheen  of  the  moonlight,  but  cast 
down  upon  the  rippling  water ;  and  her  thoughts  seemed 
wandering  far  away  from  him,  who  stood  by  her  side, 
living  and  breathing  at  that  moment  for  her  alone. 

"Edith!"  he  said,  with  tears  in  his  voice;  "dear 
Edith  !  for  God's  sake  tell  me  what  this  means  !  How 
have  I  offended  you,  and  what  has  wrought  this  change 
in  your  heart,  that  you  treat  me  like  a  stranger  —  yes, 
more  coldly  than  a  stranger  —  and  seem  to  recoil  from 
my  very  touch  ?  I  have  seen  and  felt  this  for  some  time 
past,  and  only  forgot  it  for  one  brief,  rapturous  moment 
now,  soon  to  be  recalled  more  painfully  to  the  truth. 
Have  I,  then,  grown  repulsive  to  you?  for  God's  sake 
tell  me,  before  it  is  too  late  !  " 

The  impassioned  and  earnest  tone  in  which  her  com- 
panion spoke,  roused  the  young  girl  from  her  reverie. 
She  breathed  a  deep  sigh,  as  though  suddenly  recalled 
to  the  fact  of  her  lover's  presence,  and  tears  rose  to  her 
eyes  as  she  answered  : 

"  Indeed,  Sir  Charles,  you  do  me  and  yourself  an  in- 
justice. You  are  very  far  indeed  from  being  repulsive  to 
me,  for  I  respect  and  admire  you  as  much  as  ever,  and 
would  not  wound  you  for  the  world  !  I  am  indignant 
with  myself  that  I  cannot  make  a  warmer  return  for  your 
affection;  but  I  begin  to  fear  it  is  my  nature  —  for  I  must 
tell  you  the  truth  —  that  I  do  not  and  cannot  love  you  as 
I  know  you  deserve  to  be  loved,  and  as  my  heart  tells 
me  I  ought  to  love  you  ]  It  would  be  dishonorable  in 
me  to  deceive  a  heart  so  noble,  and  so  loyal  as  yours ; 
and  I  tell  you,  with  mortification,  and  pain,  and  shame  for 
my  own  cold  heart,  that  what  I  have  dreamed  of  love, 
but  never  felt,  is  far  different  from  the  feeling  entertained 


264  ASKAROS    K ASS  IS. 

for  you.  I  honor,  esteem,  respect  you  !  I  look  up  to 
you  for  guidance,  and  entrust  my  future  fearlessly  to  your 
keeping ;  but  I  would  deceive  you,  did  I  tell  you  that  my 
love  for  you  is  the  same  as  yours  for  me.  Why  this 
should  be  so  I  cannot  tell ;  I  only  know  such  is  the  truth. ' ' 

Over  the  fair,  smooth  brow  of  the  Englishman  there 
seemed  to  pass  a  spasm  of  deadly  pain ;  and  she  felt  a 
shuddering  thrill  shake  the  strong  hand  that  still  held 
hers.  Then  that  hand  closed  convulsively  on  hers  with 
a  clasp  which  was  painful,  and  turning  his  face  toward 
her,  he  pleaded  his  cause,  with  all  the  fervor  of  a  strong 
nature  habitually  kept  under  control,  but  sweeping  every- 
thing before  it  when  once  unchained. 

"Edith!"  he  said,  "when  I  unsealed  my  heart  to 
you,  sitting  amidst  those  ruins  at  Luxor,  and  obtained 
from  your  virgin  lips  the  confession  that  you  were  not  in- 
different to  me,  I  felt  that  it  was  all,  and  more,  than  I  had 
the  right  to  ask,  on  the  first  avowal  of  my  passion  !  But 
now,  after  long  months  of  intimate  acquaintance,  when 
we  know  each  other  better  —  when  our  troth  is  plighted 
—  such  cold,  measured  words  as  those  you  have  just 
uttered,  cut  me  to  the  heart.  They  prove  that  the  love 
I  feel  for  you  is  not  shared  —  that  my  affection  is  not  re- 
turned —  and  that,  rich  as  I  have  grown  in  worldly  goods, 
I  am  a  pauper  in  what  I  prize  more  —  and  that  you  can 
give  me  your  esteem,  but  not  the  love  which  alone  is  life 
to  me ! 

"Oh  Edith!  think  well  ere  you  reject  the  priceless 
wealth  of  such  an  affection  as  mine,  and  cause  it  to  wither 
and  die  for  the  want  of  the  sunshine  of  a  look  or  word 
of  yours.  Not  twice  in  a  lifetime  is  a  love,  so  deep  and 
devoted  as  mine,  tendered  to  any  woman :  and  I  know 
you  too  well,  to  believe  that  you  would  be  the  wife  of  any 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  265 

man  you  did  not  love.  What  is  my  fault  ?  Tell  me, 
that  I  may  amend  it.  In  what  have  I  been  wanting,  that 
you  have  cooled  thus  in  your  treatment  of  me  ?  Tell  me, 
that  I  may  repair  it.  But,  oh,  Edith  !  dear  to  me  now 
as  ever,  in  spite  of  this  mortal  chill  which  strikes  to  my 
heart  at  your  avowal  — be  not  so  cruel,  so  pitiless  !  No 
longer  be  an  image  of  snow,  but  a  woman ;  and  recipro- 
cate an  affection  which  will  make  the  happiness  of  two 
lives  perfect." 

To  this  impassioned  pleading  of  her  lover  Edith  knew 
not  what  to  reply.  She  felt  the  force  and  truth  of  what 
he  had  said  ;  and  she  felt  also  keenly,  the  ingratitude  she 
manifested  toward  this  heart,  so  noble,  so  loyal,  so  gener- 
ous, even  in  its  pain.  She  felt  her  own  heart  softening 
toward  him,  more  than  it  had  done  for  many  months, 
and  mistook  the  sentiment  of  sympathy,  or  of  pity,  for 
that  of  love,  which  it  no  more  resembles  than  the  moon- 
light does  the  sunlight.  So  she  replied  in  a  softer  and 
more  sympathetic  tone  to  her  lover's  appeal  and  recant- 
ed more  of  her  avowals  than  the  truth  warranted,  under 
that  impulse  :  leaving  him,  although  not  completely  satis- 
fied, yet  partially  convinced  that  she  had  spoken  more 
coldly  than  she  felt,  and  that  the  affection  she  entertained 
for  him,  though  not  so  fervent  as  he  might  desire,  yet 
could  be  warmed  into  a  greater  glow  by  the  fire  of  his 
own. 

Half  in  pity,  half  in  gratified  vanity,  she  was  listening 
with  a  pleased  and  attentive  ear  to  his  fervent  protesta- 
tions, and  glowing  plans  for  their  future,  when  the  gon- 
dola was  suddenly  arrested,  and  she  looked  up  to  see 
what  the  impediment  might  be,  which  had  interrupted 
the  smooth  motion  of  the  barge,  and  their  whispered 
conversation  at  the  same  time. 
23 


266  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

The  gondola  had  passed  out  of  the  open  lagoon  and 
entered  the  Grand  Canal.  The  moonlight  was  as  bright 
as  day,  and  every  object  on  the  canal  distinctly  visible 
along  its  whole  length  —  the  black  shadows  of  the  marble 
palace  on  its  banks,  the  column,  and  winged  lion  of 
St.  Mark's  reflected  in  the  clear  mirror  of  the  limpid 
waters  —  producing  the  effect  of  a  double  Venice  — while 
from  time  to  time  floated  on  the  air  snatches  of  melodies 
of  Tasso's  verse  breathed  by  the  lips  of  the  gondoliers, 
coming  mellowed  by  distance  over  the  waters,  like  echoes 
from  pleasant  memories  of  the  past. 

Edith  looked  up  suddenly,  as  the  gondoliers  backed 
water  with  their  oars,  and  after  a  slight  shock — as  though 
the  gondola  had  grazed  another  —  the  bark  floated  like 
a  swan  on  the  water,  and  she  saw  the  face  and  form  she 
least  expected  to  see  at  that  place  and  time,  but  which 
she  had  often  seen  in  her  sleeping  and  waking  dreams. 

For  as  she  looked  up,  there  shot  out  of  the  small  canal 
spanned  by  the  Bridge  of  Sighs,  with  its  palace  and 
prison  on  either  hand,  which  runs  at  right  angles  to  the 
Grand  Canal,  a  small  gondola,  so  rapidly  propelled  by 
its  careless  gondolier,  that  its  sharp  prow  seemed  threat- 
ening to  cut  right  into  the  broadside  of  the  one  in  which 
the  young  maiden  was  listening  to  a  love-tale,  newer  and 
fresher,  if  not  so  rhythmical  as  those  of  Tasso  — and  told 
in  another  tongue. 

The  rapid  backward  movement  of  the  gondoliers  alone 
saved  the  collision ;  and  as  the  smaller  gondola  shot  across 
the  Grand  Canal,  just  grazing  the  prow  of  the  larger,  a 
form  rose  from  the  seat  outside  of  the  cabin,  and  gazed 
eagerly  into  the  other  boat.  And  the  eyes  of  Edith  and 
of  Askaros  met  once  more  !  those  of  the  former  full  of 
wonder  and  surprise  —  those  of  the  other  filling  their 


ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS.  267 

dark  lustrous  orbs  with  a  light  more  difficult  to  define,  in 
which  rapture  and  pain  seemed  strangely  blended. 

It  was  but  an  instantaneous  flash  of  recognition ;  and 
the  light  gondola,  propelled  by  the  vigorous  arm  of  the 
single  gondolier,  shot  with  arrowy  speed  down  the  canal, 
in  the  direction  from  which  the  larger  had  just  come,  and 
turning  into  another  small  canal,  was  lost  to  view. 

The  quick  eye  of  Sir  Charles  had  also  recognized  an 
acquaintance,  and  he  turned  in  surprise  to  Edith : 

"Why,  there  is  our  young  Egyptian  prince!  "  he  said, 
1 '  or  his  ghost ;  although  he  wears  the  European  dress 
now,  and  devilish  well  he  looks  in  it  too ;  though  thinner 
than  in  his  bags.  Who  would  have  expected  to  meet  him 
here,  after  so  unceremoniously  cutting  us  all  in  Cairo,  as 
he  did.  You  know  I  tried  my  best  to  fish  him  up  when 
we  came  down  the  Nile :  but  the  old  house  was  empty 
when  I  went  there — all  the  family  away — and  our  dra- 
goman told  us  they  had  all  gone  away  somewhere.  By 
Jove  !  I  must  fish  him  up  to-morrow ;  for  he  really  is 
the  most  civilized  Eastern  I  have  ever  met.  He  came 
pretty  near  giving  us  another  upset  with  that  careless 
gondolier  of  his,  though  !  " 

Edith  murmured  something  in  reply,  but  complained 
of  the  chilliness  of  the  night  air,  and  joined  her  father 
and  aunt  in  the  cabin,  whither  Sir  Charles  reluctantly 
followed ;  and  the  interrupted  conversation  was  not  re- 
sumed, as  they  soon  reached  their  residence  in  the  Pa- 
lazzo, which  was  their  temporary  home,  .and  spent  the 
evening  at  the  theatre  of  San  Felice. 

Edith  retired  to  her  rest  that  night  with  a  troubled 
brow,  and  a  more  agitated  heart.  As  she  disrobed  her- 
self, and  laid  aside  the  jewels  she  had  worn  at  the  opera- 
house,  she  murmured  to  herself: 


268  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

"Does  it  not  seem  like  a  fatality,  the  perpetual  appari- 
tion of  that  man  !  as  though  he  did  possess  the  magic 
carpet  of  the  Persian  prince,  and  could  transport  himself 
at  will,  as  I  once  jestingly  declared  he  might.  How 
strangely  does  he  seem  wound  up  with  the  thread  of  my 
life !  And  how  wan  and  worn  he  looked  in  the  moon- 
light !  like  one  who  had  suffered  much  in  mind  and  body 
since  we  met,  so  many  months  ago,  in  that  mysterious 
land  of  his,  where  everything  seems  supernatural." 

Smiling  at  her  own  fancies,  she  stepped  to  the  window 
overlooking  the  Grand  Canal,  through  which  the  bright 
moonlight  streamed  with  a  brightness  like  that  of  day, 
and  waving  her  hand  theatrically,  exclaimed,  laughingly : 

"  If  truly  thou  art  Haroun-el-Reschid,  I  summon  thee 
by  this  spell  to  appear  !  " 

As  though  in  answer  to  the  invocation,  round  the  corner 
of  the  palace,  from  the  small  canal,  there  shot  out  a 
light  gondola ;  and  standing  on  the  deck,  leaning  against 
the  cabin,  in  the  full  light  of  the  moon,  she  saw  again  the 
face  and  form  of  him  she  had  summoned  !  But  he  saw 
her  not ;  his  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  distant  stars,  and  the 
gondola  glided  so  swiftly  past  that  she  had  scarcely  seen 
him  ere  he  had  vanished  again.  With  a  superstitious 
thrill  of  terror,  the  maiden  shivered  as  though  with  cold, 
and  she  withdrew  from  the  casement,  and  with  a  troubled 
mind  and  heart  sought  her  couch,  to  be  haunted  with  the 
wildest  dreams,  in  which  she  could  trace  only  one  actual 
figure  —  that  of  the  mysterious  and  omnipresent  Egyp- 
tian. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

MOUSSA-BEN-ISRAEL. 

A  FEW  weeks  after  the  interview  between  the  Viceroy 
and  Daoud-ben-Youssouf,  when  the  farce  of  a  judi- 
cial investigation  into  the  accounts  of  the  late  Khasnadar, 
Askaros  Effendi,  had  been  gone  into,  and  through  the 
garbled  accounts  of  his  former  Wakeel,  Daoud,  judg- 
ment had  been  rendered  in  favor  of  the  Egyptian  Gov- 
ernment for  several  thousand  purses,  with  heavy  arreara- 
ges of  interest — amounting  to  a  confiscation  of  the  estate 
—  the  Syrian  was  again  summoned  into  the  Viceroy's 
presence. 

He  naturally  supposed  it  was  to  receive  the  thanks,  and 
the  promised  reward  from  the  Viceroy ;  for  the  sessions 
of  the  Grand  Meglis  were  secret,  and  his  treachery  to  his 
former  patron  had  been  so  adroitly  veiled  under  the 
feigned  fear  and  reluctance  with  which  he  had  testified, 
having  also  made  apparently  so  desperate  an  effort  to 
conceal  the  account-books  which  compromised  the  Khas- 
nadar, as  to  deceive  all  not  in  the  secret.  Those  forged 
books,  by  an  understanding  with  Mahmoud  Bey,  were 
stolen  from  the  place  where  he  had  secreted  them,  by 
the  old  crone,  his  servant,  and  delivered  up  to  the  Meglis ; 
so  he  considered  himself  safe  from  detection.  He  had 
23*  269 


2/O  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

even  allowed  himself  to  be  imprisoned  for  several  days, 
for  refusing  to  divulge  where  those  account-books  were : 
and  was  only  liberated  when  they  had  been  found,  as 
stated  above. 

For  the  sole  restraint,  the  sole  fear  left  to  this  subtle 
and  reckless  intriguer,  who  played  with  life  and  soul  as  a 
child  with  its  toys  —  prized  one  moment,  thrown  away 
the  next  —  was  the  dread  of  El  Warda's  discovery  of  his 
treachery  ;  which  -he  well  knew  she  never  would  forgive. 
With  that  fear  lost,  like  Satan,  went  all  his  fear.  Great 
as  was  his  avarice,  vaulting  as  was  his  ambition,  implac- 
able as  was  his  hate,  the  master-passion  of  his  soul,  per- 
verted as  it  was,  could  be  found  in  his  affection  for  this 
gentle  girl.  So  strange  are  the  diversities  of  human 
character !  so  mysterious  and  inscrutable  the  workings  of 
the  human  soul !  If,  on  the  earth's  wide  surface  there 
existed  two  beings,  more  utterly  dissimilar  in  mind,  heart 
and  soul,  than  El  Warda  and  Daoud  —  the  one  all  light, 
the  other  all  darkness  —  hard,  indeed,  would  they  be  to 
find.  Yet  the  strange  attraction  of  opposites  manifested 
itself  here  :  overpoweringly  in  the  case  of  the  man,  fitfully 
and  feebly  in  that  of  the  woman,  whose  purer  nature  re- 
coiled instinctively  from  the  occasional  exhibitions  of  the 
darker  soul  of  the  Syrian. 

With  the  haunting  fear  of  detection  set  at  rest,  he  cared 
for  naught  else ;  and  it  was,  therefore,  with  a  light  heart 
and  a  serene  brow  that  he  mounted  his  donkey,  and  set 
out  for  the  Abassieh,  to  obey  the  Viceroy's  summons. 

While  he  was  still  on  his  way  there,  another  had  been 
ushered  into  the  presence  of  the  Viceroy,  in  secret  au- 
dience :  and  that  other  was  the  venerable  Israelite, 
Moussa-ben-Israel,  who  had  also  been  peremptorily  sum- 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  2JI 

moned  to  the  palace  of  the  Pasha,  by  an  order  he  dared 
not  disobey. 

The  old  man,  as  he  stood  before  Abbas,  after  pros- 
trating himself  in  Oriental  fashion,  was  not  clad  in  the 
costly  garments  he  had  worn  in  his  own  house,  when  he 
had  received  the  elder  Askaros  in  his  secret  chamber. 

He  now  wore  the  yellow  cap  and  gabardine,  distinctive 
of  the  Jew,  and  squalid  poverty  and  misery  were  stamped 
upon  his  external  man.  Long  years  of  pitiless  persecu- 
tion and  ruthless  cruelty  had  taught  his  people  to  coun- 
teract the  greed  and  grasping  avarice  of  the  Turk,  by 
concealment  of  the  wealth  they  coveted,  and  by  a  courage 
which,  though  passive,  was  none  the  less  unflinching  and 
heroic  in  its  contempt  of  danger,  torture  and  death.  In 
the  East  that  mysterious  race  —  sole  living  link  between 
Deity  and  man,  through  whom  the  rich  heritage  of  sal- 
vation and  the  promises  of  God  to  man  have  been  re- 
vealed in  all  ages  —  still  present  their  peculiar  character- 
istics; which,  in  the  West,  by  the  attrition  of  inter- 
course and  marriage  with  other  races,  are  rapidly  being 
obliterated. 

Moussa-ben-Israel,  as  he  rose  up  from  his  prostration 
before  the  Viceroy,  presented  that  type  of  his  tribe, 
when  they  sought  to  eke  out  the  lion's  skin  with  the  fox's, 
and  to  oppose  craft  to  cruelty ;  and  his  appearance  and 
manner  were  by  no  means  so  prepossessing  as  when,  in 
his  own  house,  he  had  welcomed  his  friend,  and  his  true 
nature  was  free  to  exhibit  itself.  Then,  his  port  and 
mien  had  been  erect  and  fearless ;  now,  the  head  was 
bowed,  and  he  seemed  like  one  bending  under  the  bur- 
den of  many  years,  as  he  stood  with  downcast  eyes,  and 
arms  dropping  nervelessly  by  his  side,  before  the  Vice- 
roy, whose  countenance  wore  its  blackest  aspect. 


2/2  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

"Dog  of  a  Yahudi !  "  was  the  Viceroy's  salutation; 
"son  of  the  stiff-necked  race,  whom  Turk,  Nazarene, 
and  Gentile  equally  hate  and  despise  !  I  have  permitted 
thy  presence  to  pollute  my  palace,  because  I  have  some 
questions  to  ask  of  thee  !  Answer  me  truly,  though  thy 
tongue  be  so  skilled  in  lying  as  to  make  it  difficult,  or  I 
shall  cause  it  to  be  plucked  with  red-hdt  pincers  from 
thy  blaspheming  jaws.  They  tell  me  that  if  living  man 
knows,  thou  knowest  where  the  treasures  of  Askaros 
Khasnadar  are  concealed ;  and  he  was  a  defaulter  to  my 
Government,  and  seems  to  have  taken  all  his  wealth  to 
the  pit  of  Eblis  with  him  when  he  died,  for  my  people 
cannot  find  it.  Thou  alone  knowest  where  it  is  hidden, 
and  if  thou  wilt  tell  me,"  said  the  Viceroy,  suddenly 
changing  his  manner  into  one  of  patronizing  kindness, 
"  my  gratitude  shall  richly  recompense  thee  for  the 
public  service  thou  wilt  have  conferred."  And  he 
leaned  forward  on  his  divan,  almost  caressingly,  toward 
the  old  man. 

"  Effendina  !  "  replied  the  Jew,  apparently  much  con- 
fused and  astonished,  and  plucking  nervously  at  his  long 
snowy  beard  as  he  spoke,  "you  surely  must  be  jesting 
with  your  poor  servant.  Does  he  look  like  a  man  ' '  — 
and  he  glanced  at  his  soiled  and  worn  gabardine  —  "  apt 
to  know  of  State  secrets,  or  to  be  entrusted  with  the 
hiding-place  of  concealed  treasures  ?  Surely  my  great 
lord  amuses  himself  by  mocking  at  the  poor  Hebrew, 
who  served  his  grand-sire  !  " 

"  Pig  !  Swine  !  Offspring  of  the  thrice  accursed  race, 
which  not  only  denies  the  true  Prophet,  but  slew  its  own 
God  !  "  shrieked  Abbas,  in  a  frenzy  of  rage.  "  It  is  thou 
that  laughest  at  the  beard  of  thy  king  and  master.  An- 
swer my  question,  and  answer  it  truly ;  or,  by  the  tomb 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  2/3 

of  the  Prophet,  I  will  cause  each  separate  hair  of  thy 
beard  to  be  plucked  out  by  pincers,  and  thine  eyeballs 
to  be  seared  with  hot  irons.  Answer,  dog  !  or  prepare 
to  meet  the  wrath  of  Abbas  Pasha,  for  well  do  I  know 
thou  liest,  and  that  the  secret  conveyance  of  the  wealth 
of  Askaros  is  well  known  to  thee,  as  well  as  the  place  to 
which  his  son  and  daughter  have  fled  ! ' '  And  he  clapped 
his  hands  sharply  together. 

' '  Send  the  man  with  the  bowstring, ' '  he  said  to  the 
attendant  who  came  at  the  call.  And  a  moment  after,  a 
grim,  black  Nubian,  hideous  in  face  and  figure,  with  a 
knotted  cord  in  his  hand,  entered,  and,  after  prostrating 
himself,  passed  silently  to  the  side  of  the  old  Hebrew, 
watching  a  signal  from  his  master,  then  and  there  to 
strangle  him. 

But,  instead  of  inspiring  fear  or  abject  humiliation,  the 
insulting  words  of  Abbas,  and  the  presence  of  the  hideous 
executioner  of  the  will  of  the  tyrant,  seemed  only  to  have 
infused  new  vigor  and  courage  in  the  breast  of  the  daunt- 
less old  man,  whose  manhood  seemed  to  rekindle  under 
the  ashes  of  years  at  this  trial. 

The  stubborn  obduracy,  the  unflinching  fortitude  of 
his  long-enduring  race,  seemed  all  concentrated  in  his 
person,  in  this  crisis.  He  raised  his  head,  and  the  grand 
old  Jewish  face,  with  its  bold  outline  —  nose  curved  like 
the  eagle's  beak ;  firm,  full  lips,  massive  jaw,  from  which 
flowed,  like  floss  silk,  the  snowy  beard,  falling  upon  the 
chest,  and  with  the  full  bright  eye,  like  an  eagle's,  too, 
undimmed  by  age  —  elevated  itself  to  a  level  with  the 
cruel  countenance  of  Abbas,  as  he  sat  on  his  divan,  and 
thus  the  Hebrew  spoke  : 

"  Grandson  of  Mehemet  Ali !  who  art  now,  by  the  will 
of  God,  Viceroy  of  Egypt,  the  sands  of  my  life  have 

S 


2/4  ASA'AKOS    A'ASSIS. 

already  ran  too  low,  and  the  time  of  my  departure  is 
already  too  near,  in  the  course  of  nature,  for  thy  threats 
to  terrify  me,  or  to  extort  aught  from  my  lips,  which  I 
wish  not  to  tell.  I  am  older  than  thy  grandsire  would 
have  been  were  he  now  alive  !  Respect  that  age,  if  thou 
respectest  naught  else.  Speak  to  me  like  a  human  be- 
ing, and  not  as  to  a  dog,  and  I  may  tell  thee,  not  all 
thou  askest,  for  I  cannot  tell  what  I  do  not  know,  but 
much  which  it  may  profit  thee  to  hear.  Now,  dismiss 
that  creature  with  the  cord,  for  only  cowards  speak  under 
such  compulsion,  and  lie  when  they  speak.  From  the 
lips  of  Moussa-ben-Israel  a  lie  never  came,  nor  fear  to 
his  soul,  except  of  Jehovah  Jireh  alone  !  While  that 
Nubian  stands  there  this  tongue  is  mute.  Thou  canst 
cause  it  to  be  torn  with  pincers  from  this  mouth,  but  thou 
canst  not  compel  it  to  speak.  I  swear  to  thee,  O  Abbas  ! 
by  the  great  Jehovah  whom  alone  I  worship,  that  thou 
never  shalt  learn  from  me  what  alone  I  know,  except  on 
the  conditions  I  have  named,  and  one  other  condition : 
that  I  shall  be  permitted  to  depart  in  peace,  when  I  have 
spoken.  Swear  this  to  me  by  the  tomb  of  the  Prophet, 
or  work  thy  will,  and  see  me  die  in  silence,  my  secret 
unrevealed.  I  have  spoken  !  " 

The  old  man  ceased  —  his  bent  form  erect  for  the 
moment  with  the  vigor  of  youth ;  his  dark  eye  flashing  ; 
his  breast  heaving  —  confronting  Abbas  with  a  pride 
greater  than  his  own. 

The  first  emotion  of  the  Viceroy  at  seeing  one  whom 
he  considered,  with  the  prejudice  of  his  bigoted  nature, 
as  utterly  destitute  of  courage  or  principle,  rise  to  the 
full  majesty  of  outraged  manhood,  and  defy  death,  tor- 
ture, and  his  wrath,  which  all  his  subjects  knew  was 
deadly,  was  one  of  utter  amazement.  He  listened  in 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  2?$ 

mute  surprise,  which  was  converted  into  reluctant  admi- 
ration as  the  old  man  proceeded. 

When  his  voice  ceased,  Abbas  drew  a  long  breath,  and 
spoke,  as  to  himself: 

' '  And  this  man  is  a  Yahudi !  ' ' 

"Ay!  Effendina !  a  Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews!  by 
blood,  faith,  and  training  !  One  of  that  race  thou  hast 
been  taught  to  despise ;  but  who  are  men,  even  as  are 
Mussulman  and  Nazarene,  and  in  whom  persecution,  like 
a  furnace  seven  times  heated,  for  generation  after  genera- 
tion, hath  developed  a  strength  of  will,  a  quickness  of 
intellect,  and  a  pertinacity  of  purpose,  which  a  softer- 
training  would  never  have  produced,  and  which  have 
made  that  scattered  race — a  nation  no  longer — a  power 
over  the  whole  earth. 

"  Hearken  unto  me  !  O  Viceroy  !  In  that  great  book 
of  faith  which  thy  Prophet  reverenced,  and  from  which 
he  drew  many  of  his  precepts  and  his  laws  for  Islam, 
thou  mayst  read  how  Jehovah  never  failed  to  protect  His 
chosen  people  against  the  Pharaohs,  and  other  kings  of 
Egypt,  who  sought  to  harm  them.  Effendina,  thou  hast 
drank  of  the  waters  of  the  Ain-el-Moussa  (Well  of 
Moses),  near  Suez,  and  the  Mollahs  have  told  thee  the 
story  of  that  persecution  of  my  people,  and  how  it  ended. 
Thotmas  was  a  mighty  king,  and  Moussa  but  a  poor  He- 
brew; yet  look  how  Jehovah  weighed  the  one  against  the 
other  ?  Effendina,  I  have  spoken  !  ' ' 

"What  he  saith  is  true!  "  muttered  Abbas.  "The 
Mollahs  at  Suez  have  told  me  that  tale  !  Sheitan  pro- 
tects his  own  !  This  old  man  is  stubborn,  I  see,  and  I 
cannot  frighten  his  secret  out  of  him,  so  must  try  coax- 
ing !  for  I  must  have  it.  Slave  !  "  he  said  aloud  to  the 
grim  Nubian,  who  stood  like  an  ebony  statue.  "  Retire  !  " 


276  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

and  making  another  prostration,  the  executioner  retired 
as  noiselessly  as  he  had  entered. 

"Now,"  said  Abbas,  turning  toward  the  Hebrew, 
"that  I  have  humored  thy  whim,  I  presume  those  stub- 
born lips  of  thine  will  unclose,  to  sing  something  other 
than  the  glories  of  the  race  of  which  thou  art  so  proud  ! 
But  stay  !  "  he  added.  "Thou  art  old  and  feeble,  and 
to  prove  how  much  of  my  favor  thou  hast  earned  by  thy 
plain  speaking,  thou  shalt  sit  down  in  my  presence  —  a 
privilege,  as  thou  knowest,  accorded  to  few  of  my  sub- 
jects; "  and  he  pointed  to  a  pile  of  cushions  on  the  floor, 
where  the  old  man  might  seat  himself. 

The  Hebrew  accepted  the  proffered  courtesy,  for  the 
strength  of  temporary  excitement  had  been  succeeded  by 
exhaustion.  At  the  same  time  he  appreciated  the  full  ex- 
tent of  the  condescension,  which  he  rightly  judged  was 
intended  to  conciliate  him,  and  unseal  his  lips. 

"Now,"  said  Abbas,  "as  thou  art  a  wise  man,  and 
not  to  be  deceived,  I  will  tell  thee,  O  Moussa,  how  this 
matter  stands,  and  what  I  seek  of  thee !  and  thou  mayest 
benefit  thy  friends  likewise,  if  thou  art  frank  with  me  ! 

"  My  Grand  Meglis  has  found  a  judgment  against  the 
estate  of  the  Khasnadar  for  many  thousand  purses ;  but 
Zoulfikar  Pasha,  who  hath  the  estate  in  charge,  reports 
that,  save  the  landed  property,  which  is  of  no  great  value, 
he  can  find  no  traces  of  the  reputed  wealth  which  all 
men  spoke  of.  Therefore  Justice  cannot  be  satisfied :  nor 
can  we  discover  whither  the  children  of  Askaros,  who 
might  tell  us,  have  fled. 

"  Now,  in  this  strait,  as  men  say  thou  wast  the  trusted 
friend  and  business  agent  of  the  Khasnadar,  who  visited 
thee  the  very  day  he  died,  I  seek  to  know  where  all  that 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  2"JJ 

wealth  is  lodged,  promising  a  rich  reward,  which  thou 
mayest  name,  for  thy  revelations  !  ' ' 

He  ceased,  fixing  an  anxious  eye  on  the  old  man's  face, 
which  was  as  immovable  and  impenetrable  as  that  of  a 
stone  statue. 

"And  if  I  tell  thee  all  I  know,  O  Effendina !  — waiv- 
ing the  reward,  for  I  need  no  bribe — will  your  Highness 
permit  me  to  add  a  word  of  counsel  afterward  ?  " 

"  Certainly  !  so  thou  wilt  but  tell  me  where  those  trea- 
sures really  are  !  "  he  added,  eagerly;  his  dull  eye  light- 
ing up  with  avaricious  hope. 

"  Effendina,  I  will.  But  they  are  neither  within  my 
reach  nor  thine  ! ' ' 

The  countenance  of  Abbas  fell,  and  he  cast  a  sinister 
and  malign  look,  from  under  his  brows,  on  the  placid 
face  of  the  old  man,  who  observed  it,  and  added,  hastily: 

"  But  I  can  suggest  a  way,  I  think,  in  which  some  of 
it  may  be  secured  !  ' ' 

"In  the  name  of  the  Prophet!  man!  then  talk  out 
plainly,  and  read  me  no  more  riddles  !  for  I  am  growing 
weary  of  them  !  What  hast  thou  to  suggest?  " 

"  This,  Highness  !  The  younger  Askaros  is  now  in 
Europe ;  at  Venice  when  last  heard  from.  He  is  the  sole 
heir;  the  girl  El  Warda  being  only  an  adopted  daughter 
of  the  Khasnadar,  and  not  entitled  to  inherit.  She 
therefore  is  useless  in  this  affair.  The  consul-general, 
who,  as  protector  of  Askaros,  claims  now  to  protect  what 
are  his  estates,  is  a  stumbling-block  in  the  way  also.  Is 
it  not  so,  Effendina  ?  " 

Abbas  assented,  by  an  impatient  nod  of  his  head,  and 
a  lowering  brow,  as  though  the  mention  of  that  name 
irritated  him. 

"The  Elchee  —  whom  may  Sheitan  seize  —  hath  had 
24 


2/8  ASKAROS    K ASS  IS. 

the  insolence  to  set  up  some  such  pretext, ' '  he  said ; 
"thou  art  well  informed  as  to  what  passes  in  the  secret 
sessions  of  my  Grand  Meglis  !  " 

The  old  man  did  not  notice  the  sneer,  but  resumed : 

"Well,  then,  Highness,  why  not  offer  the  consul-gen- 
eral to  mediate  between  thy  Government  and  Askaros, 
by  proposing  that  he  shall  be  reinstated  in  thy  good 
graces,  and  enjoy  his  inheritance,  on  payment  of  an  in- 
demnity agreed  upon,  in  liquidation  of  the  Government 
claim  against  his  father's  estate?  For  I  assure  your 
Highness,  the  money  invested  abroad — a  very  large  sum 
—  is  entirely  under  the  control  of  the  young  man  now ; 
and  to  seize  upon  his  lands  would  lead  to  a  quarrel  with 
the  consul-general." 

Abbas  reflected  a  few  moments,  then  replied : 

"I  believe  thou  speakest  truly,  O  Moussa!  and  the 
wisdom  of  thy  counsel  is  worthy  of  thy  great  ancestor, 
after  whom  thou  hast  been  fitly  named.  I  will  take  warn- 
ing of  Thotmas,  and  not  only  allow  thee  to  depart  in 
peace,  but  adopt  thy  counsel  also,  and  take  thee  and  thine 
under  my  special  protection  henceforth. 

"Go  thou  to  the  consul-general,  and  suggest  this  thing 
to  him,  as  though  I  knew  not  of  it ;  for  it  is  not  fitting 
the  proposal  should  come  from  me.  I  rely  on  thy  dis- 
cretion to  protect  my  dignity  therein  ;  and  thou  must  not 
even  hint  to  him  that  the  thing  will  not  be  new  to  me. 
Bakaloum  !  Thou  mayest  now  depart ;  and  I  thank  thee 
that  thou  hast  reminded  me  that  the  Prophet  hath  ordered 
the  toleration  of  all  faiths,  though  there  be  no  salvation 
except  through  Islam. 

"Salaam  Aleikoum,  old  patriarch!  Peace  be  with 
thee!" 

The  old  man  ros£  up,  made  his  reverence,  and  retired 


•        A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS.  2/9 

with  a  lighter  heart  than  he  had  entered,  feeling  like  one 
who  has  safely  emerged  from  the  den  of  a  tiger. 

As  he  passed  through  the  courtyard  he  encountered 
Daoud-ben-Youssouf,  who  was  just  entering  the  palace 
gates.  The  recognition  was  mutual,  as  also  the  surprise. 

' '  What  seeks  the  fox  in  the  cave  of  the  tiger  ? ' '  thought 
Moussa. 

"What  can  have  brought  that  old  dotard  here?" 
thought  Daoud. 

But  each  only  greeted  the  other  courteously,  exchang- 
ing no  words,  and  passed  on  his  way. 

The  Hebrew  mounted  his  white  donkey  at  the  gate, 
and  ambled  slowly  home  —  a  smile  on  his  aged  face  — 
thinking  of  the  good  tidings  he  had  to  tell  El  Warda, 
still  his  secret  guest. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

THE   VICEROY    PAYS   THE   SYRIAN. 

WHEN  Daoud-ben-Youssouf  was  ushered  into  the 
presence  of  the  Viceroy,  he  found  him  apparently 
in  good  humor,  smiling  from  time  to  time  as  though 
some  pleasant  thought  tickled  his  fancy.  His  reception 
of  the  Syrian  was  bland  and  encouraging  in  the  extreme 
—  more  patronizing  and  cordial  than  it  had  ever  been 
before ;  which  Daoud  regarded  as  a  good  omen. 

"  So,  thou  hast  come  swiftly  at  my  summons  !  "  said 
Abbas,  chuckling  to  himself;  "and  with  a  good  appetite 
for  the  feast,  I  trust  ?  for  thou  hast  hunted  down  the  fat 
quarry  :  and  now  cometh  the  banquet.  Is  it  not  so  ?  " 
and  he  laughed  again  until  the  tears  trickled  down  his 
face,  as  at  some  capital  joke. 

"  Effendina  !  I  know  not  why  I  was  summoned.  But 
it  is  my  duty  and  my  pleasure  to  respond  promptly  to  my 
lord's  call !  " 

"But  thou  hast  a  suspicion  as  to  why  thou  wert  sent 
for?  Thou  knowest  that  Abbas  Pasha  ever  keeps  faith, 
and  fulfils  his  promises  to  the  letter.  Surely  thou  hast 
not  forgotten  mine  to  thee,  when  first  we  talked  of  the 
affairs  of  the  late  Khasnadar  —  now  so  happily  conclu- 
ded —  in  which  thou  hast  more  than  exceeded  thy  part." 

280 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  28 1 

"Effendina,  I  remember  everything  !  " 

"Ay!  Thou  hast  a  good  memory,  I  believe.  Canst 
thou,  now  that  the  judgment  hath  been  rendered,  give 
me  any  clue  to  the  hidden  wealth  of  the  Khasnadar? 
Thou  mayest  have  met  the  Jew,  Moussa  in  the  courtyard  ? 
He  pretends  to  know  somewhat  of  its  hiding  place." 

"  Effendina  !  if  any  man  does  know,  it  is  he.  Did  he 
reveal  it?"  he  asked,  eagerly,  forgetting  his  caution,  and 
the  presence  in  which  he  stood,  in  his  burning  anxiety. 

But  Abbas  did  not  take  offence  at  the  impertinence  of 
the  question.  His  good  humor  seemed  impenetrable. 
He  only  rebuked  the  rash  youth,  as  one  would  a  forward 
child. 

"  Thou  art  here  to  answer  questions,  not  to  ask  them !  " 
he  said  ;  then  added  :  "  but  I  will  indulge  thy  curiosity 
so  far  as  to  tell  thee,  that  he  doth  give  me  information 
which  is  truly  valuable.  A  wise  man  and  a  true  one, 
indeed,  is  that  old  Yahudi !  He  hath  improved  my 
opinion  of  his  people.  But  this  concerneth  not  thee  ! 
Hast  thou  any  information  to  impart  to  me  ?  Any  more 
useful  treachery  to  sell  ?  If  not,  our  accounts  might  as 
well  now  be  closed  !  " 

"  Effendina !  I  have  told  all  I  know,  and  have  nothing 
more  ! ' '  replied  the  Syrian,  who  did  not  fancy  the  snarl- 
ing earnestness  of  the  Viceroy's  last  remark,  nor  his 
manner,  which  seemed  too  soft  and  playful  to  be  entirely 
natural. 

So  he  thought  it  best  not  to  protract  the  interview,  but 
boldly  said : 

"Effendina  intimated  to  his  faithful  servant  that,  now 
his  work  was  done,  his  reward  would  be  forthcoming. 
Shall  I  kiss  his  Highness's  hand  in  token  of  thanks  for 
his  bounty  ?  ' ' 
24* 


282  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

"But  I  promised  thee  the  girl  as  well  as  the  gold  !  " 
responded  Abbas,  seemingly  much  amused  at  the  impa- 
tience of  the  Syrian  to  clutch  the  promised  purses.  "  How 
can  I  give  her  to  thee,  when  she  hath  disappeared  like 
the  Fairy  Princess  in  the  '  Thousand  and  One  Nights  '  ? 
Hast  thou  yet  found  any  clue  to  her  hiding-place  ?  ' ' 

"Effendina!  I  have  not.  She  has  disappeared  like  a 
bubble  in  the  air,  or  a  circle  on  the  water. ' ' 

"Well,  then,  thou  canst  not  blame  me,"  said  Abbas, 
still  smiling,  "if  I  pay  thee  but  half  of  what  is  due 
thee  ! ' '  Then  turning  to  his  chamberlain,  gave  him 
some  instructions  in  a  low  voice,  and  dismissed  the 
Syrian,  saying : 

"Go  thou  with  Mahmoud  Bey,  who  is  an  old  friend 
of  thine,  and  first  introduced  thee,  who  will  conduct  thee 
to  my  Khasnadar,  who  will  give  thee  the  half  of  thy  re- 
ward—  the  other  thou  must  find  for  thyself!  " 

Not  quite  satisfied  with  the  ambiguous  smile  which  ac- 
companied these  satisfactory  words,  Daoud  followed  the 
footsteps  of  Mahmoud  Bey  through  the  passage,  and  just 
as  he  emerged  through  the  palace-door  into  the  court- 
yard, felt  himself  suddenly  seized  —  his  arms  pinioned 
to  his  sides  by  a  strong  cord  which  was  flung  over  his 
head — was  thrown  on  his  face  flat  on  the  ground  —  his 
legs  lifted  in  air,  his  slippers  and  stockings  torn  off  in  a 
twinkling,  and  the  heavy  blows  of  a  palm  stick  fell  thick 
and  fast  on  the  soles  of  his  delicate  feet,  of  which  he  was 
as  careful  and  proud  as  a  woman. 

Utterly  stunned  and  bewildered  by  the  suddenness  of 
the  treachery,  and  writhing  under  the  pain  of  the  basti- 
nado—  one  of  the  most  terrible  of  Eastern  punishments  — 
the  Syrian  made  no  useless  struggles,  uttered  no  cry,  but 
submitted  with  stoical  fortitude  to  the  pain,  which  was 


A  SKA  R  OS    K ASS  IS.  283 

acute  and  agonizing,  while  the  shame  he  felt  at  the 
degradation  afmost  equalled  the  physical  torture. 

At  length,  blind  and  dizzy  with  the  pain,  his  brain 
reeling,  his  feet  beaten  almost  into  a  jelly,  with  sharp 
pains  racking  his  spine  and  his  whole  frame  —  exhausted 
almost  to  fainting — his  torturers  ceased  their  blows,  and 
rolled  him  over  like  a  log,  into  a  corner  of  the  court- 
yard— for  he  found  he  was  unable  to  rise  or  stand,  upon 
making  the  attempt  —  and  there  they  left  him. 

A  mocking  laugh  from  an  upper  window  of  the  palace 
roused  him  from  his  dizzy  swoon.  He  turned  his  blood- 
shot eyes  in  the  direction  of  the  sound,  and  saw  Abbas 
Pasha  standing  there,  above  his  head,  looking  down  and 
apparently  enjoying  his  wretched  plight,  as  he  had  wit- 
nessed his  punishment. 

"  Ho  !  ho  !  "  laughed  Abbas  again,  as  he  caught  the 
eye  of  his  victim.  "  Have  I  not  kept  my  word?  thou 
dog  of  great  promises  and  small  performances !  who  hast 
dared  trifle  with  thy  master,  and  sought  to  fill  his  eyes 
and  ears  with  sand  ! 

"  Said  I  not  that  thou  shouldst  be  paid  half  of  what  I 
promised  thee  ?  For  thy  two  hundred  purses  thou  hast 
had  one  hundred  stripes  of  the  bastinado  —  the  other 
half  I  reserve  the  payment  of,  as  thou  shalt  merit  it. 
Go,  now,  and  remember  that,  though  thou  art  a  sleek 
young  tiger-cat,  whose  claws  are  sharp,  thou  shouldest 
not  venture  to  play  pranks  with  a  full-grown  tiger  ! 

' '  Pray  to  thy  saints  soon  to  heal  thy  delicate  and 
dainty  feet,  or  bear  thee  to  Cairo  on  their  wings ;  else 
wilt  thou  not  walk  for  many  days  to  come  ! 

"  Consider  thine  account  settled,  unless  thou  shouldst 
prefer  to  call  again  for  thy  balance  !  —  Ho  !  ho  !  ho  !  — 


284  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

for  after  having  seen  thy  feet,  I  care  not  ever  to  look 
upon  thy  face  again  ! ' ' 

No  word  escaped  the  Syrian's  lips  ;  no  muscle  of  face 
or  body  moved,  as  he  lay  upon  the  ground,  bruised, 
beaten  and  bloody,  with  the  foam  upon  his  pallid  lips, 
and  shame,  agony,  and  impotent  wrath  gnawing  at  his 
heart. 

But  if  looks  could  kill,  the  glances  he  shot  from  his 
dilating  pupils  at  the  man  who  mocked  at  his  misery  and 
laughed  at  his  degradation,  after  having  duped  and  be- 
trayed him  even  worse  than  he  had  betrayed  his  former 
friends,  that  glance  would  have  been  as  deadly  as 
Medusa's. 

He  felt  the  hot  blood  surging  up  to  his  brain,  as  he 
realized  the  utter  impotence  of  his  wrath,  and  his  thirst 
for  vengeance  on  his  smiling  enemy,  and,  with  a  sound 
like  the  rushing  of  mighty  waters  booming  in  his  ears, 
darkness  came  down  over  body,  brain  and  heart,  and  he 
saw  or  felt  no  more  —  lying  there  more  like  the  corpse 
than  the  living  body  of  the  baffled  schemer,  whose  pun- 
ishment was  almost  as  great  as  his  crime,  coming,  as  it 
did,  in  the  hour  of  his  fancied  triumph,  and  plunging 
him  down  from  his  highest  heaven  of  hope  into  the 
deepest  hell  of  despair. 

The  Viceroy  looked  coolly  down  on  the  inanimate 
form,  then  withdrew  from  the  window,  and  took  his  way 
to  his  mother's  apartments,  still  chuckling  to  himself  at 
his  own  excellent  practical  joke. 

The  smile  was  still  upon  his  face  as  he  raised  the  cur- 
tain of  the  door,  and  passed  into  the  hareem,  where  he 
found  his  mother,  but  not  alone,  for  an  unveiled  female 
was  sitting  on  the  divan  beside  her. 

Seeing   this,   Abbas  was   about   to    retire,   when   the 


ASKAROS   XASSIS.  285 

woman  rose,  disclosing  the  bold  beauty  of  Nezle"  Kha- 
num ;  and  Abbas,  coming  forward,  greeted  her  with 
great  apparent  cordiality,  and  took  his  seat  beside  the 
two  women. 

After  the  usual  compliments  had  passed  between  Abbas 
and  his  kinswoman,  the  latter  said : 

"Thou  hast  the  air  of  one,  O  Abbas  !  that  hath  just 
heard  pleasant  tidings,  or  witnessed  some  amusing  sight 
of  late,  for  thou  wast  smiling  when  entering.  Let  us 
poor  women,  ever  shut  out  from  the  sights  abroad,  share 
in  thy  mirth  ! ' ' 

"Truly  it  was  but  a  small  matter,  O  Khanum  !  "  re- 
turned Abbas.  "Yet,  of  a  verity,  fit  food  for  mirth. 
I  have  just  witnessed  the  paring  of  a  wild-cat's  claws ; 
and  truly  it  was  amusing  ! ' ' 

"  Thou  speakest  in  parables,  my  son,  like  a  Santon  at 
a  tomb,  or  a  Mollah  in  a  mosque,"  said  his  mother,  with 
the  curiosity  of  old  age,  ' '  with  thy  talk  of  wild-cats  and 
other  vermin  !  What  was  the  sight  that  so  pleased  thee  ? 
Tell  thine  old  mother  ! ' ' 

Thus  solicited,  Abbas,  with  grim  humor,  told  the 
whole  story  of  the  Syrian,  ending  with  the  payment  just 
made  him ;  suppressing,  of  course,  the  more  material 
facts,  which  he  did  not  desire  to  be  known ;  winding  up 
with  his  parting  remarks  to  Daoud. 

Both  the  women  seemed  much  amused  by  the  recital ; 
but  the  small  bright  eyes  of  Nezle"  Khanum  never  left 
the  speaker's  face  after  the  name  of  Askaros  had  been 
mentioned  in  connection  with  the  affair,  and  under  her 
ready  and  noisy  laughter  might  have  been  detected  a 
sardonic  twitching  of  the  mouth,  by  a  less  preoccupied 
observer  than  Abbas. 

When  he  had  concluded,  and  they  had  all  paid  their 


286  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

tribute  to  his  good  story,  Nezle,  affecting  to  wipe  from 
her  eyes  the  tears  which  her  laughter  had  caused,  asked : 

' '  And  what  became  of  the  young  wild-cat,  after  his 
claws  were  trimmed  so  adroitly  ?  ' ' 

"Oh,"  said  Abbas,  "lying  in  the  courtyard  still,  I 
suppose  !  The  creature  can  crawl  away  when  it  has  re- 
covered sufficiently.  I  gave  orders  to  my  people  not  to 
interfere  with  it." 

"  Peki !  "  said  the  Khanum,  •"  I  wonder  if  it  was  the 
young  man  I  saw  coming  in,  as  an  old  Yahudi  left  the 
courtyard,  as  I  was  looking  down  through  your  mother's 
window,  half  an  hour  since  ?  ' ' 

"Most  probably,"  responded  Abbas,  "  my  fair  kins- 
woman, it  was  the  same." 

"  He  was  very  good-looking,  then  ;  beardless,  with  a 
smooth  skin  like  a  girl's,  and  the  daintiest  little  hands 
and  feet  imaginable.  Had  I  known  what  he  was  coming 
for,  I  should  have  interceded  for  him.  Pretty  boys  are 
growing  scarcer  every  day  in  this  country. ' ' 

"This  one  would  have  made  a  good  Mameluke,"  said 
Abbas ;  "  the  very  boy  to  watch  one's  slumbers,  keep  the 
flies  off  and  hand  the  sherbet.  I  am  sadly  in  want  of 
some  good  ones." 

"  I  am  promised  some  from  Stamboul  soon,"  replied 
Nezle7,  carelessly,  "  and  if  Effendina  wants  some,  he  may 
take  his  choice." 

"Thanks,"  said  Abbas.  "We  shall  see,  for  we  know 
thy  taste  to  be  good  in  all  that  appertains  to  youth  and 
beauty  —  in  our  unworthy  sex,"  he  added,  sarcastically. 

But  the  mother  of  Abbas,  who  loved  dearly  the  visits 
of  the  princess,  who  brought  her  all  the  latest  gossip  from 
the  baths  and  hareems  of  Cairo,  saw  the  rising  storm  on 
the  brow  of  her  guest,  and  the  ominous  flash  in  her  eye 


A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS.  287 

at  the  equivocal  compliment  of  Abbas,  and  hastened  to 
divert  it  by  turning  the  conversation  into  a  less  dangerous 
channel. 

Abbas,  too,  whose  love  for  the  princess  was  by  no 
means  equal  to  his  fear  of  her,  seconded  his  mother  in 
this  hospitable  intent,  and  apparently  succeeded. 

An  hour  later,  when  the  Syrian  revived  from  his  death- 
like swoon,  still  weak,  dizzy  and  faint  with  pain,  exhaus- 
tion and  excitement,  he  found  himself  to  his  surprise, 
lying  in  a  small  room  attached  to  the  hareem  kitchens, 
with  two  stalwart  black  eunuchs  taking  charge  of  him, 
bathing  his  wounded  feet  with  balms  and  unguents,  and 
tending  him  with  great  care. 

To  his  question  as  to  whether  they  did  this  by  the 
Viceroy's  orders,  they  shook  their  heads,  and  one  of 
them  answered  :  — 

"A  high  and  noble  lady,  who  hath  seen  thy  piteous 
plight  and  compassionated  thee,  hath  ordered  us,  her 
slaves,  to  bind  up  thy  wounds  and  take  thee  safely  home, 
which  we  are  now  ready  to  do,  when  thou  art  strong 
enough  :  for  thy  litter,  ^ince  thou  canst  not  ride,  is  now 
ready  for  thee  without. ' ' 

"Let  us  leave  this  Sheitan's  den  at  once,  then,"  said 
the  Syrian,  savagely,  raising  himself  up  from  the  divan 
on  which  they  had  laid  him.  The  eunuchs  glanced  fear- 
fully around,  and  placed  their  fingers  on  their  lips,  as 
though  to  warn  the  rash  speaker  that  the  walls  might 
have  ears ;  but  proceeded  instantly  to  lift  him  up,  since 
he  could  not  stand  —  so  swollen  and  useless  were  his 
bruised  feet  and  discolored  limbs  —  and  to  bear  him  to 
the  outer  air. 

"What  is  the  name  of  this  kind  lady  who  has  taken 
pity  on  a  bruised  worm  like  me?  "  asked  Daoud,  as  they 


288  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

carefully  bore  him  forth  and  placed  him  on  a  litter,  borne 
by  two  strong  hamals  (porters). 

One  of  the  eunuchs  stooped  down  and  whispered  in 
his  ear  a  name,  on  hearing  which  the  Syrian's  astonish- 
ment seemed  to  deprive  him  of  speech,  for  he  spoke  no 
other  word  until  safely  deposited  in  his  own  house. 
Then,  bestowing  a  liberal  backschisch  on  the  eunuch  who 
had  accompanied  the  litter  on  horseback,  he  dismissed 
him,  with  thanks  to  his  mistress,  to  whom  he  tendered 
his  future  life-long  services,  in  gratitude  for  her  charity. 

But  when  left  alone,  stretched  on  his  divan  in  his  own 
dreary  house,  he  muttered  savagely  to  himself  through 
his  clenched  teeth,  an  Italian  proverb : 

"  He  laughs  well  who  laughs  last !  " 


CHAPTER   XXV. 
"THE  OLD,  OLD  STORY." 

SPRING  had  returned  once  more,  the  buds  and  blos- 
soms were  awaking  again  from  their  winter's  sleep, 
and  the  soft  winds  whispered  gently  among  the  green 
foliage,  and  ruffled  the  smooth  surface  of  the  lagoons 
into  mimic  waves. 

Venice,  the  ever  desolate  though  ever  lovely,  was  don- 
ning her  summer  robes  again,  and  endowing  herself  with 
that  fatal  beauty,  under  which  lurked  the  seeds  of  death 
for  the  imprudent  stranger,  whom  her  Circe-like  spells 
beguiled  to  linger  there. 

The  winter  which  had  been  passed  by  our  friends,  the 
Americans,  in  Venice,  had  witnessed  some  strange  changes 
in  that  household  ;  though  the  family  still  occupied  the 
place  they  had  leased  for  the  winter  months. 

Sir  Charles  had  succeeded  in  finding  the  Egyptian,  the 
morning  after  their  unexpected  rencontre  near  the  Bridge 
of  Sighs,  and  had  brought  him  to  visit  his  former  guests 
at  Cairo ;  and  the  consequences  of  this  intervention  were 
very  serious  for  all  parties. 

For  the  simple  narrative  of  his  misfortunes  from  the 
lips  of  the  young  Copt,  and  his  present  exile  and  desola. 
25  T  289 


2QO  ASKAROS    K AS  SIS. 

tion,  had  so  wrought  on  the  excited  heart,  or  the  imag- 
ination of  the  young  American  girl,  as  entirely  to  over- 
power her  judgment  or  cooler  reason;  and  what  had 
been  a  mere  fancy  before,  soon  developed  itself  into  an 
ardent  passion  for  the  hero  of  her  dreams. 

She  was  too  frank  and  too  honest  to  conceal  this 
change  in  her  sentiments  from  him  who  had  the  best  title 
to  know  it ;  and  Sir  Charles,  though  cut  to  the  heart  by 
her  avowal  that  she  found  she  could  not  love  him  well 
enough  to  be  his  wife,  and  wounded  both  in  his  pride  and 
affection  by  his  failure,  was  nevertheless  too  proud  and 
too  generous  to  urge  his  suit  on  cold  or  unwilling  ears. 

He  left  Venice  abruptly  the  day  after  she  had  spoken 
to  him ;  leaving  a  note  for  Mr.  Van  Camp,  stating  that 
his  daughter  would  inform  him  why  the  engagement  had 
been  broken,  as  it  had  been  solely  on  her  urgent  solicita- 
tion that  he  had  abandoned  a  hope  so  dear  to  his  heart. 
He  further  stated  that  he  should  never  marry ;  but  if  at 
any  future  time  he  could  be  of  service  in  any  way  to  him, 
or  his,  they  had  only  to  call  upon  him,  for  he  ever  would 
cherish  sentiments  of  the  warmest  friendship  for  Miss 
Van  Camp  and  her  father. 

The  old  gentleman  was  both  mystified  and  mortified 
on  receipt  of  this  note ;  and  the  spinster  was  furious. 
But  Edith  calmly  and  gravely  assured  them  she  had  con- 
sidered the  matter  thoroughly,  and  could  not  conscien- 
tiously wed  a  man  she  did  not  love. 

So  the  old  gentleman  consoled  himself  with  the  thought 
that  now  he  should  keep  his  daughter  ;  but  Miss  Priscilla 
mourned,  as  one  not  to  be  comforted,  at  the  vanished 
dream  of  figuring  among  lords  and  ladies,  and  of  pres- 
entation at  foreign  courts.  Moreover,  she  saw,  with  eyes 
sharpened  by  disappointment,  that  as  the  figure  of  Sir 


ASKAROS    K'ASSIS.  2gi 

Charles  receded  from  the  foreground,  that  of  the  young 
Egyptian  came  forward  ;  and  that  on  one  pretext  or  the 
other,  he  was  constantly  either  at  the  palace  where  they 
dwelt,  or  accompanying  them  in  their  excursions,  and 
that  Edith  and  himself  conversed  in  so  low  a  tone  that  it 
was  impossible  to  hear  what  they  were  talking  about. 

These  things  disturbed  the  mind  of  the  sagacious  spin- 
ster, and  she  imparted  her  suspicions  to  her  brother-in- 
law,  who  only  pooh-poohed  her,  and  resumed  the  after- 
dinner  nap  she  had  interrupted  to  make  her  confidential 
communication.  So  Miss  Priscilla,  though  sorely  dis- 
quieted, and  not  daring  to  interrogate  Edith  on  the  sub- 
ject, whose  temper  had  grown  more  and  more  uncertain, 
alternating  bursts  of  fitful  merriment  with  equally  fitful 
periods  of  despondency,  grimly  watched  and  held  her 
peace. 

The  denouement  came  sooner  than  she  had  anticipated  ; 
for  one  day  Askaros  came  to  visit  them,  with  a  face  of 
unusual  gravity  and  sadness,  so  that  they  feared  he  had 
received  tidings  of  some  new  misfortune  ;  but  it  was  quite 
the  reverse,  for  he  had  received  an  intimation  from  the 
consul-general,  who  had  befriended  and  protected  him 
in  Egypt,  that  the  Viceroy  had  made  a  compact  with  him, 
that  if  Askaros  would  return,  on  payment  of  a  stipulated 
number  of  purses  to  the  Egyptian  Government,  they 
would  quash  all  proceedings  against  his  father's  estate, 
placing  him  in  full  possession  of  all  appertaining  to  him 
as  heir,  and  acknowledging  him  as  a.protegj,  and  official 
of  the  foreign  consulate  -  general,  which  would  assure 
his  personal  safety.  He  was  therefore  urged  to  return 
immediately,  to  take  charge  of  his  interests.  El  Warda 
had  enclosed  a  little  note  also,  in  which,  among  other 
matters  of  gossip,  the  fact  was  carelessly  stated  of  the  de- 


2Q2  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

parture  of  Princess  Nezle'  for  Constantinople,  it  was  sup- 
posed by  order  of  Abbas,  with  whom  it  was  said  she  had 
quarrelled. 

This  news,  which  ought  to  have  filled  the  young  man's 
mind  with  joy,  seemed  to  produce  directly  the  contrary 
effect.  He  was  sadder  and  more  abstracted  even  than 
usual ;  and,  strange  to  say,  the  fair  Edith  seemed  to  share 
in  his  despondency. 

Seeing  this,  the  young  man  was  emboldened  to  speak 
again  of  his  admiration  —  his  love  —  for  the  fair  Ameri- 
can. And  this  time  he  was  not  repulsed,  but  listened  to 
in  silence  he  knew  not  how  to  interpret,  as  he  wildly 
poured  out  the  mingled  agony  and  ecstacy  of  his  soul,  in 
the  burning  language  of  Eastern  passion — until  venturing 
to  look  up  at  the  face  which  he  worshipped,  he  saw  some- 
thing there  that  encouraged  him  to  hope,  and  in  a  few 
moments  more  the  "old,  old  story"  had  been  wildly 
repeated,  and  as  earnestly  listened  to  as  in  any  tale  of 
true  love :  and  the  young  Copt  knew  his  love  was  re- 
turned. 

It  was  hard  to  say  whether  the  usual  calm  and  com- 
posed father,  or  the  eccentric  aunt,  was  more  horrified 
and  indignant,  when  the  young  Egyptian  formally  re- 
peated his  proposal  to  them,  adding  that  he  was  author- 
ized to  do  so  by  Edith  herself. 

We  pass  by  the  stormy  scenes  that  ensued  —  the  indig- 
nant refusal  by  the  father,  the  hysteric  indignation  of  the 
aunt,  the  mute  misery  of  Edith,  whose  dream  was  thus 
rudely  broken,  but  who  proved  staunch  to  her  strangely- 
selected  lover.  Mr.  Van  Camp  broke  up  his  establish- 
ment in  Venice,  and  took  his  daughter  away,  forbidding 
her  to  correspond  with  Askaros  on  pain  of  his  displeasure, 
or  even  to  see  him ;  which  the  half  broken-hearted  girl 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  293 

promised  to  obey,  having  never  in  her  lifetime  disobeyed 
her  indulgent  father,  whose  native  Dutch  obstinacy,  once 
aroused,  was  impervious  to  argument  or  entreaty. 

"If  she  had  chosen  any  civilized  man,  however  poor 
or  obscure,' '  he  said,  "  I  might  have  given  my  consent ; 
but  to  marry  an  Egyptian  savage  —  to  mix  the  pure  old 
Knickerbocker  blood  with  that  of  an  African  !  —  I  would 
rather  see  her  in  her  grave  !  "  So  he  hurried  off  the  girl 
to  Rome,  to  Naples,  to  Paris,  seeking  by  change  of  scene 
and  of  society  to  divert  her  thoughts,  and  banish  what 
he  considered  this  insane  freak  from  her  mind  ;  but  all  in 
vain.  Although  the  girl  submitted  with  a  patient  sweet- 
ness to  all  his  requisitions,  and  never  complained,  yet  a 
settled  sadness  took  possession  of  her.  She  lost  color, 
appetite,  spirits,  sleep ;  a  hectic  flush  spread  itself  over 
her  pale  cheek,  and  a  hacking  cough,  the  herald  of  the 
insidious  disease  of  which  her  mother  had  died,  shook 
her  enfeebled  frame.  The  physicians  whom  he  called  in, 
gravely  shook  their  heads,  and  advised  a  milder  climate 
than  Paris,  where  they  then  were — some  recommending 
Nice,  others  Egypt  —  until  the  fond  father  fairly  worried 
out,  summoned  his  daughter  to  him  one  day,  and  told 
her  that  he  repented  of  his  rash  declaration  that  he  would 
sooner  bury  her  than  see  her  the  wife  of  the  Egyptian ; 
and,  as  the  choice  seemed  to  lie  between  the  two  things, 
he  would  allow  her  to  choose  the  latter,  if  she  still  were 
of  the  same  mind. 

His  only  answer  was  the  clasp  of  a  pair  of  soft  arms 
round  his  neck,  while  he  was  half  smothered  with  kisses ; 
and  wiping  his  eyes,  in  which  unwonted  moisture  had 
gathered,  he  said : 

' '  I  know  I  am  a  fool  in  giving  way  to  you ;  but  it 
can't  be  helped." 
25* 


294  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

Had  the  consulting  physicians  seen  Edith  the  next 
morning,  with  hope  once  more  in  her  eye  and  a  fresh 
bloom  on  her  cheek,  which  seemed  to  have  grown  round 
again  in  a  night,  they  undoubtedly  would  have  indefi- 
nitely postponed  the  voyage  to  Egypt  they  had  before 
so  strongly  recommended. 

Yet  that  was  the  voyage  they  were  now  preparing  for ; 
and  in  two  weeks'  time  Mr.  Van  Camp — with  many 
forebodings  as  to  the  wisdom  of  the  step  he  had  been 
seduced  into,  sorely  against  his  will  and  judgment — was 
sailing  back,  with  his  family,  in  one  of  the  Peninsular 
and  Oriental  steamers,  for  the  land  of  the  Pharaohs  once 
again.  Immediately  after  the  peremptory  rejection  of 
his  suit  by  the  father  of  Edith,  the  young  Askaros  — 
reckless,  and  desperate,  and  careless  now  of  what  befell 
him  —  had  returned  to  Alexandria,  and  there  Mr.  Van 
Camp  expected  to  find  him. 

The  spring  by  this  time  was  well-nigh  over,  and  the 
heats  of  summer  were  rapidly  coming ;  but  at  Alexandria 
they  knew  the  sea-breeze  tempered  the  rays  of  the  sun, 
and  that  it  was  as  cool  as  most  European  seaboard  cities, 
and  determined  therefore  to  stop  there,  before  proceed- 
ing to  Cairo — since,  through  the  consular  agent,  they 
could  easily  ascertain  all  they  sought  to  know  of  the  for- 
tunes and  fate  of  the  young  Egyptian. 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

THE   VULTURE   SCENTS    HIS    PREY. 

AND  thus  it  chanced,  thanks  to  the  consistent  friend- 
ship of  the  consul-general,  and  the  subtle  skill  of 
the  Israelite,  as  well  as  the  precautions  taken  by  his 
father,  that  Askaros  found  his  path  smoothed  for  him, 
on  his  return,  and  free  to  sit  once  more  the  master  of  his 
own  house,  and  the  acknowledged  heir  of  his  father's 
estate. 

He  had  to  pay  a  heavy  price  for  this  reinstatement,  it 
is  true ;  but  it  took  only  a  portion  of  the  large  fortune  he 
had  inherited,  and  he  still  had  enough  left  to  make  him 
one  of  the  richest  among  the  wealthy  class  to  which  he 
belonged. 

El  Warda  refused  to  return  to  the  dwelling  of  him 
whom  she  and  all  the  world  knew  not  to  be  her  brother, 
but  took  up  her  residence  with  some  distant  kinsman. 

Her  unaffected  happiness  at  his  return  made  the  young 
man  fonder  of  her  even  than  before,  and  the  increased 
softness  and  tenderness  of  his  manner  toward  her,  caused 
her  heart  to  flutter  wildly  with  newly-awakened  hopes  as 
to  the  possibility  of  the  formation  of  a  newer  and  stronger 
tie  between  them,  now  that  the  greatest  barrier,  in  the 
shape  of  the  Frank  woman,  was  removed.  But  the  poor 

295 


296  A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS. 

girl's  new  waking  dream  of  felicity  was  soon  disturbed 
and  dissipated  for  ever,  by  the  unexpected  return  of  the 
only  woman  on  earth  her  gentle  heart  had  at  once  hated 
and  feared.  For,  with  the  return  of  the  American  party 
to  Egypt,  and  the  renewed  devotion  of  Askaros  to  the 
girl  of  the  azure  eyes  and  sunny  hair,  the  prophetic  soul 
of  the  loving  girl  warned  her  of  the  dissolution  of  that 
dream.  Even  had  Askaros  failed  in  his  suit,  El  Warda 
was  not  the  woman  to  share  a  divided  heart,  or  accept 
the  cinders  of  one  consumed  by  a  vain  flame  for  another. 
With  the  sad  stoicism  of  the  Indian  widow,  who  mounts 
the  funeral  pile  prepared  for  her  incremation  while  still 
full  of  life  and  hope,  El  Warda,  with  true  Oriental  fatal- 
ism, meekly  and  heroically  accepted  her  disappointment, 
and  sought,  though  vainly,  to  banish  from  her  heart  the 
image  that  haunted  it. 

She  became  very  religious  —  frequented  the  Coptic 
convent  much,  and  busied  herself  in  works  of  piety  and 
charity,  and  seemed  bent  on  seeking  from  heaven  that 
consolation,  and  that  sweet  hope  in  the  future,  which 
earth  seemed  destined  to  deny  her. 

In  the  interval  her  more  fortunate  rival,  under  the 
curative  effect  of  hope  restored  and  happiness  secured, 
again  found  the  rose  returning  to  her  cheeks,  the  light  to 
her  eye,  the  springiness  to  her  step,  and  her  gay  laughter 
gashed  out  once  more,  like  the  carolling  of  the  bird  that 
swings  itself  on  the  spray,  and  chants  from  mere  over- 
flowing of  its  heart. 

It  was  arranged  that  the  marriage  of  Askaros  Effendi 
—  for  such  was  now  his  title  as  inheritor  of  the  wide 
lands  and  large  fortune  of  his  father  —  with  the  young 
American  girl  should  be  solemnized  at  the  Consulate 
first,  and  afterward  at  the  Coptic  Church,  as  is  the  cus- 


A^SKAROS    K  ASS  IS.  297 

torn  in  all  mixed  marriages  in  Egypt.  The  only  condi- 
tion exacted  by  Mr.  Van  Camp,  on  consenting  to  the 
union,  was  the  solemn  promise,  on  the  part  of  the  Copt, 
that  he  would  arrange  his  affairs  in  Egypt  as  speedily  as 
possible,  and  make  either  Europe  or  America  his  perma- 
nent residence,  only  visiting  Egypt  from  time  to  time,  as 
his  affairs  demanded  his  presence  there,  on  which  occa- 
sions Edith  was  to  be  left  in  charge  of  her  father. 

Askaros,  who,  to  secure  Edith's  hand,  would  have 
promised  almost  anything,  cheerfully  subscribed  to  these 
conditions,  not  being  over  anxious  himself  to  remain  in 
Egypt.  Especially  after  he  found  the  Princess  Nezle  had 
returned,  after  a  short  visit  to  Constantinople,  and  was 
said  to  be  in  higher  favor  with  Abbas  than  ever. 

This  he  deemed  the  only  cloud  which  lurked  on  his 
horizon — like  most  mortals  blindly  ignorant  of  the  quar- 
ter whence  the  storm  was  to  come. 

There  was  no  unnecessary  delay  interposed  after  these 
arrangements  had  been  made,  as  Mr.  Van  Camp  and  his 
family  were  anxious  to  leave  Egypt  before  the  summer 
heats  set  in. 

The  marriage  took  place  as  agreed  upon,  the  bride 
looking  as  lovely,  and  the  bridegroom  as  self-conscious 
as  is  usual  on  such  occasions.  Among  the  first  to  con- 
gratulate her  new  sister  was  El  Warda,  who,  while  press- 
ing a  kiss  on  her  fair  brow,  threw  around  her  neck  a  costly 
string  of  Oriental  pearls.  Although  looking  paler  and 
thinner  than  when  Edith  had  last  seen  her,  she  had  be- 
come more  lovely,  her  face  having  gained  in  expression 
what  it  had  lost  in  girlish  gayety,  and  while  more  serious 
and  thoughtful,  was  not  sad  —  but  with  a  sweet  resigna- 
tion stamped  upon  it,  like  that  of  a  saint.  At  the  same 
time  she  made  her  gift,  she  presented  the  bride  also  with 


298  A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS. 

a  bouquet  of  choice  flowers,  all  virgin  white,  and  exhal- 
ing a  rich  perfume. 

"lean  bring  my  brother's  bride  no  rich  gifts,"  she 
said,  in  a  low  sweet  voice;  "but  I  bring  her  these  pearls; 
and  these  flowers  —  white  as  her  face,  pure  as  her  soul, 
sweet  as  her  lips,  but  sooner  to  fade  than  her  affections. 
Next  to  him  I  hope  to  hold  a  place  in  her  sister's  heart, 
if  she  will  find  a  nook  in  it  for  a  poor  ignorant  Egyptian 
girl,  who  loves  both  very  dearly?  " 

Edith,  moved  to  tears,  she  knew  not  why,  by  the 
simple  pathos  of  the  girl's  speech  and  manner,  though 
not  suspecting  the  deeper  tenderness  that  was  veiled  under 
that  sisterly  affection,  responded  warmly,  and  while  kiss- 
ing her  dark  cheek,  urged  the  girl  to  share  their  home, 
as  a  sister  should,  both  in  Egypt  and  abroad.  But  El 
Warda  gratefully,  yet  firmly  refused. 

"I  thank  you  from  my  heart,  O  wife  of  my  brother! " 
she  said ;  "but  my  ways  of  life  are  not  as  yours,  neither 
are  my  pleasures  nor  my  tastes.  I  should  only  be  an 
encumbrance  on  your  household,  and  miserable  myself, 
trying  to  live  like  a  Frank.  I  shall  live  and  die  in  Egypt, 
which  is  my  home,  and  I  have  no  desire  to  see  strange 
people  and  strange  lands.  My  own  suit  me  best.  It  is 
more  than  probable  that  I  shall  take  my  place  in  one  of 
the  convents  of  my  people,  for  I  shall  never  marry.  So 
trouble  not  yourself,  nor  allow  my  brother  to  be  troubled 
about  the  little  Copt  girl ;  who  will  be  very  happy  in  her 
own  way,  although  that  way  be  very  different  from  yours. 
Now,  may  Sitta  Mariam  protect  you  both,  and  guard  this 
house  from  evil  spirits  and  evil  men  !  " 

Stooping,  she  impressed  a  light  kiss  on  the  bride's  fore- 
head, and,  ere  she  could  reply,  had  glided  from  the  apart- 
ment and  the  house,  returning  to  her  own  residence. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  299 

Left  alone,  for  her  husband  had  gone  to  the  door  to 
bid  farewell  to  his  wedding  guests,  the  young  bride  fell 
into  a  reverie  ;  the  strangeness  of  the  new  situation  im- 
pressing her  like  the  repetition  of  one  of  her  day-dreams 
in  Venice,  when  she  first  began  to  listen  to  the  whispers 
of  her  own  heart. 

A  sound  like  the  whirring  of  wings  aroused  her.  Some- 
thing brushed  her  sunny  curls,  settled  down  upon  her 
shoulder,  and  rubbed  its  soft  head  against  her  cheek, 
with  a  cooing  sound.  She  saw  it  was  one  of  the  Barbary 
doves  of  Askaros,  and  the  moment  after  the  young  man 
passed  through  the  door,  laughing. 

"  I  thought  I  would  surprise  you  with  an  unexpected 
visitor,"  he  said.  "Do  you  not  recognize  the  bird  you 
saved  on  the  Ezbekieh,  when  chased  by  a  hawk?  He 
is  rightly  your  property,  since  his  life  would  have  been 
forfeited  but  for  the  shelter  of  your  bosom.  Now  he  is 
yours  by  a  double  right,  for  all  that  is  mine  is  yours  also. 
From  whatever  point  you  let  him  go,  he  will  come  back 
here.  Recollect  this  :  for  who  knows  but  you  may  want 
to  use  him,  when  carried  off  by  some  one  of  the  Genii, 
or  some  wicked  prince,  and  imprisoned  in  an  enchanted 
castle." 

Edith  replied  in  the  same  tone  of  badinage,  and  the 
conversation  turned  on  their  friends,  who  had  embarked 
for  Marseilles  immediately  after  the  marriage  and  cere- 
mony that  morning,  from  Alexandria. 

"What  are  they  doing  now,  I  wonder?  "  said  Edith, 
wistfully. 

"Let  me  look  into  my  magic  mirror,  and  I  will  tell 
you  !  "  said  Askaros,  with  mock  solemnity ;  and  gravely 
pouring  out  some  ink  into  the  hollow  of  her  hand,  in  imi- 
tation of  the  Cairene  magician  who  mystified  the  travellers 


3OO  ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS. 

at  the  hotels,  he  peered  earnestly  into  it.  "I  see,"  he 
said,  "an  elderly  gentleman  lying  flat  upon  his  back,  and 
resisting  the  importunities  of  the  steward  to  come  to 
dinner.  I  see  a  young  gentleman,  smoking  a  strong 
cigar  with  no  relish,  and  a  very  pale  face,  whose  sea-legs 
are  nothing  to  speak  of,  but  who  stoutly  stumbles  over 
the  deck,  getting  entangled  in  coils  of  rope,  and  having 
his  eyes  blessed  by  the  sailors.  I  see  also  a  maiden  lady, 
lying  on  what  looks  like  a  cupboard -shelf,  fearfully  sick — 
let  us  say,  at  soul  —  and  peering  anxiously  at  the  'old 
willow  pattern,'  in  the  bottom  of  what  might  be,  but  is 
not  a  soup-tureen  !  And  I  see  also  a  stewardess  tender- 
ing her  a  tumbler  containing  a  mahogany-colored  liquid, 
fearfully  like  brandy  and  water.  All  this  I  see,  O  lady 
fair !  accompanied  with  much  movement,  and  shaking  up 
and  down,  and  salt  spray,  and  scalding  steam ;  and  the 
vision  vanishes  !  " 

It  was  as  Askaros  had  humorously  described  it.  Her 
relatives  were  all  tossing  on  the  Mediterranean,  and 
Edith,  for  the  first  time  in  her  life  absent  from  them  all, 
left  to  the  society  of  her  Haroun-el-Reschid,  did  not  ap- 
pear disconsolate  at  such  desertion,  unnatural  as  it  may 
seem. 

The  days  glided  on,  and  the  weeks  moved  noiselessly 
past,  guided  by  the  fleet  velvet-footed  hours,  until  there 
remained  but  one  week  more  of  their  honeymoon,  at  the 
expiration  of  which  Askaros  was  pledged  to  return  to  Eu- 
rope, his  affairs  having  been  put  in  a  satisfactory  condi- 
tion, and  the  settlement  with  the  Egyptian  Government 
completed. 

Abbas  had  even  condescended  so  far  as  to  permit  the 
consul-general  to  bring  Askaros  in  his  suite  on  a  visit,  and 
had  allowed  the  Copt  to  kiss  his  hand,  making  some 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  3OI 

gracious  speech  to  him  at  the  time,  which  the  blackness 
of  his  brow  contradicted ;  for  Abbas  never  either  forgot  or 
forgave,  had  a  tenacious  memory  and  much  patience. 

He  had  encountered  the  Viceroy  on  another  occasion. 
As  he  was  driving  out  his  wife  one  evening  on  the  great 
Shoubra  road,  under  the  grand  old  trees  planted  by 
Mehemet  Ali,  in  his  American  wagon  presented  by  the 
younger  Van  Camp,  he  met  the  cavalcade  of  the  Viceroy, 
which  came  thundering  down  the  road  from  those  wonder- 
ful gardens,  now  the  property  of  the  generous  young 
prince  Halim  Pasha. 

Recognizing  the  royal  cortege,  Askaros  drew  up  to  one 
side  of  the  road  to  let  it  pass,  as  is  the  etiquette. 

First  came  the  mounted  guards  in  rich  uniform,  then 
the  Viceregal  carriage.  Abbas  was  sitting  in  an  open 
caleche,  the  hood  thrown  back,  with  one  of  his  ministers 
sitting  on  the  front  seat. 

As  he  passed  he  recognized  the  salutation  of  Askaros 
by  no  movement  or  look :  but  a  sudden  gleam  came  into 
his  dull  vulture-like  eyes,  as  it  fell  on  the  fair  face  and 
golden  hair  of  his  companion,  and  a  dark  flush  reddened 
his  swarthy  face.  He  stared  hard  at  the  unexpected  ap- 
parition, with  a  bold  unflinching  gaze,  which  disconcert- 
ed its  object,  and  brought  the  bright  color  to  her  face, 
neck,  and  bosom,  giving  a  fresher  glow  to  her  beauty. 
Then  he  leaned  forward,  and  seemed  eagerly  to  interro- 
gate the  official  riding  with  him,  and,  turning  his  head, 
again  gazed  back  until  the  winding  road  hid  them  from 
each  other's  view. 

"Is  that  the  Viceroy!"    asked   Edith,  a  cold  chill 
creeping  over  her,  she  knew  not  why,  as  memory  brought 
back  the  scene  of  the  serpent  presence  visibly  to  her 
eyes,  when  she  had  experienced  a  similar  sensation. 
26 


302  ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS. 

"It  is  the  Viceroy,"  answered  Askaros,  whose  face, 
light  and  joyous  the  moment  before,  now  wore  a  sombre 
and  pre-occupied  expression. 

"  What  an  evil  face  he  has  !  "  added  Edith. 

"  Not  more  evil  than  his  nature,  of  which  it  is  the  re- 
flection," answered  the  young  man. 

"How  he  stared  at  me!  In  an  European  it  would 
have  been  absolutely  rude.  But  I  suppose,"  she  added, 
laughing,  "  as  the  Turks  think  women  have  no  souls,  and 
also  that  an  unveiled  woman  has  no  modesty,  and  only 
uncovers  her  face  to  be  looked  at,  his  manners  are  Turk- 
ish, and  must  be  pardoned." 

She  turned  in  surprise,  for  her  husband  neither  echoed 
her  laugh,  nor  replied  to  her  remark,  and  the  serious  ex- 
pression of  his  face  alarmed  her. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  she  asked,  anxiously.  "Are 
you  ill  ?  or  what  has  happened  to  worry  you  ?  I  hope 
you  did  not  take  seriously  my  complaint  about  that  ugly 
old  man's  staring  at  me;  for,  sir,"  she  added,  saucily, 
"  a  great  many  old,  and  young  gentlemen  too,  will  stare 
at  the  pretty  young  wife  of  Askaros  Effendi,  or  Monsieur 
Askaros,  when  they  return  to  Europe ;  and  I  am  sure  I 
won't  mind  it  very  much,  if  you  don't." 

But  even  the  raillery  of  Edith,  for  the  first  time,  seemed 
to  fail  in  awakening  a  corresponding  cheerfulness  in  the 
heart  or  in  the  manner  of  Askaros.  Although  he  made 
an  effort  to  appear  lively,  his  gayety  was  forced,  and  his 
laugh  hollow ;  and  the  remark  he  made  on  reaching  home 
did  not  tend  to  reassure  his  young  wife. 

"  Safe  at  home  at  last !  "  he  said.  "  Truly  sung  your 
American  poet,  whose  song  echoes  over  the  world : 

'  There's  no  place  like  home  ! ' 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  303 

But  I  vow  a  silver  candlestick  to  the  shrine  of  Sitta 
Mariam,  on  the  day  that  sees  us  safe  out  of  this  accursed 
country." 

When  pressed  by  Edith  to  disclose  the  reason  of  his 
disquietude,  he  first  evaded  the  subject,  but  being  urged 
more  strenuously  by  those  soft  lips  he  could  never  resist, 
he  accounted  for  his  gravity,  by  telling  her  he  had  that 
day  received  the  news  that  his  protector,  the  consul-gen- 
eral, was  to  be  transferred  to  another  mission  very  shortly, 
leaving  to  replace  him  an  old  and  timid  man,  as  acting- 
consul,  until  his  successor  arrived. 

' '  This  would  be  a  bad  thing  for  me,  were  my  affairs 
still  unsettled,"  added  Askaros ;  "but  it  matters  little 
now,  as  we  shall  probably  leave  Egypt  before  he  does." 

And  so  the  matter  dropped. 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

THE  CEREMONY  OF  THE  DOSEH. 

A  NOTHER  week  had  passed,  unmarked  by  any  event 
Jr\.  of  importance,  and,  as  the  cloud  had  quickly  passed 
from  the  brow  of  Askaros,  and  its  shadow  from  his  soul, 
the  young  wife  forgot  the  vague  apprehensions  his  con- 
duct had  inspired,  and  was  as  gay  and  happy  as  a  bird 
again  —  carolling  through  the  spacious  old  palace,  and 
flitting  over  it,  like  a  winged  thing  —  all  life  and  joy  and 
hope. 

For,  within  a  few  days'  time  she  was  to  leave  Egypt 
with  her  husband,  to  rejoin  her  father  and  family,  and 
pass  the  summer  in  Germany,  and  autumn  in  Italy — not 
to  return  again  to  Egypt  until  the  ensuing  year. 

Askaros,  too,  seemed  rejuvenated  by  the  prospect  of 
speedy  departure,  and  the  two  romped  together  like  boy 
and  girl,  through  the  spacious  apartments  of  the  solemn 
old  palace,  to  the  great  amazement  of  the  staid  and  lazy 
old  servants  —  Ferraj  included — who  could  not  compre- 
hend how  any  one  could  take  pleasure  in  running  about, 
when  they  might  enjoy  "keff"  sitting  still,  smoking  and 
eating  sweetmeats — the  Arab  idea  of  supreme  felicity. 

The  large-eyed  silent  Copt  women,  who  came  to  see 
the  new  wife  of  Askaros,  sat  and  stared  silently  at  the 

304 


ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS.  305 

strange  Frank  woman,  smoked  their  pipes,  ate  their  sweet- 
meats, sipped  their  lemonade — and  never  came  a  second 
time. 

Turkish  hareems  she  held  in  horror  —  the  visit  to  that 
of  the  princess  having  entirely  satisfied  her  curiosity. 

Nezle  Khanum  sent  her  a  message  to  come  and  see  her ; 
but  Askaros  made  her  decline  it,  on  the  plea  of  illness, 
which  did  not  deceive  that  astute  lady,  who  laughed  to 
herself,  and  said : 

' '  The  boy  is  afraid  to  send  his  little  white  doll  to  me ! 
Is  he  afraid  I  may  poison  her  ?  or  does  he  have  the  vanity 
to  think  I  have  not  forgotten  his  existence,  long  ago, 
though  I  was  angry  at  the  time,  and  for  a  long  time  after- 
ward ?  I  really  believe  that  young  Syrian  Abbas  treated 
so  shamefully,  is  the  better-looking,  after  all !  But  I 
have  had  enough  of  boys :  ripe  fruit  is  better  than  green. 
But  this  baby  of  Askaros'  shall  see  me  again,  in  spite 
of  his  wise  precautions  ! ' ' 

In  pursuance  of  which  determination,  Nezle,  whose 
love  of  intrigue  and  trickery  amounted  almost  to  insanity, 
disguised  herself  as  a  Dellab,  or  saleswoman,  and  piloted 
by  the  Frenchwoman,  actually  visited  the  house  of  Aska- 
ros, and  saw  and  spoke  to  his  unconscious  wife  through 
her  interpreter. 

"  What  fools  these  men  are  !  "  she  said,  with  a  roar  of 
laughter,  while  the  obsequious  Frenchwoman  was  divest- 
ing her  of  her  disguise,  on  her  return  to  her  own  palace. 
"Why,  Askaros  might  have  taken  El  Warda,  who  was 
dying  of  love  for  him ;  and  she  was  worth  a  dozen  of 
that  faded-looking  Tngleeze,  both  in  looks  and  character. 
Wallah  !  what  fools  the  men  are,  indeed." 

And  so,  the  princess  buried  her  indignation  against  her 
former  lover  in  contempt  for  his  bad  taste.  Cruel  and 
26*  U 


306  ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS. 

unscrupulous  as  she  was,  she  was  equally  capricious :  and 
both  her  fancy  for,  and  resentment  against  the  young 
Copt  had  now  died  away,  having  been  obliterated  by 
other  intrigues,  without  which  she  could  not  live.  In 
fact,  the  courage  displayed  by  the  young  man,  in  effect- 
ing his  escape  on  that  memorable  night,  as  well  as  the 
fidelity  with  which  he  had  guarded  the  secret  of  his  in- 
trigue with  her,  no  whisper  of  which  had  ever  got  abroad, 
or  reached  the  Cairene  gossips,  had  inspired  her  with  a 
feeling  of  respect  for  him  which  was  almost  friendly. 
But  of  this  he  knew  nothing,  and  looked  to  that  quarter 
as  the  one  from  whence  all  the  clouds  on  his  horizon 
came. 

About  this  time  there  was  an  unusual  gathering  one 
morning  on  the  Ezbekieh,  and  Edith,  who  was  riding  on 
horseback,  accompanied  by  her  husband,  noticed  it,  as 
also  the  great  apparent  excitement  of  the  people,  who 
seemed  to  have  deserted  their  ordinary  occupations,  and 
streamed  out  in  crowds  toward  the  gate,  which  opened  on 
the  road  leading  to  Boulak. 

She  observed  also  in  this  crowd  many  wild-looking 
figures,  naked  to  the  waist,  with  only  a  sheepskin  round 
the  loins,  whose  wild  haggard  faces,  and  long  matted 
hair,  hanging  from  unshaven  heads,  made  them  unlike 
any  of  the  residents  of  Cairo  she  had  seen  before. 

On  inquiry,  Askaros  told  her  these  were  Santons,  or 
saints  —  grim  fanatics  who  dwelt  in  caves  or  the  open 
air,  and  lived  on  alms  bestowed  by  pious  Mussulmans, 
chiefly  women,  who  considered  their  prayers  as  specifics 
against  illness,  and  all  the  troubles  of  life,  and  who  were 
such  privileged  characters,  that  even  were  one  of  them  to 
kill  a  man,  the  common  people  would  not  seek  their  pun- 
ishment. 


ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS.  307 

The  wild-looking  howling  dervishes,  whom  she  had 
seen  performing  their  strange  rites  —  not  entirely  unlike 
those  of  the  American  "Shaking  Quakers" — who  also 
wore  their  hair  in  long  elf-locks,  and  were  clad  only  in 
long  loose  gowns,  with  high  conical  caps,  were  likewise 
out  in  great  force.  Edith,  therefore,  rightly  judged  it 
was  some  religious  ceremony  or  festival  that  was  in  agita- 
tion :  which  opinion  Askaros  confirmed,  informing  her 
that  the  procession  of  pilgrims  or  Hadjis,  from  Mecca, 
was  to  enter  that  gate,  headed  by  the  Sheik-ul- Islam,  or 
spiritual  chief  of  the  pilgrimage. 

He  further  explained  that  the  return  would  be  signal- 
ized by  the  annual  ceremony  of  the  Sheik's  riding  over 
the  bodies  of  a  lane  of  living  men,  mounted  on  horse- 
back, and  that  the  Hadjis  were  supposed  to  obtain  a  re- 
mission of  their  sins  by  submitting  to  the  test ;  since  it 
was  a  mark  of  the  displeasure  of  Allah,  if  during  the 
performance  of  this  miracle  any  person  was  killed  or 
seriously  injured. 

This  ceremony  was  called  the  Doseh,  and  would  take 
place  that  day,  over  the  space  leading  from  the  Ezbekieh 
to  the  gate  before  mentioned,  a  distance  of  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  yards. 

"  What  a  terrible  sight  it  must  be  !  "  said  Edith.  "Let 
us  hasten  home  to  avoid  it.  I  would  not  look  upon  such 
a  sight  for  worlds.  And  the  looks  of  those  wild  people 
terrify  me  so.  Come,  let  us  go  back."  And  giving  her 
horse  the  rein,  they  turned  back  from  the  Ezbekieh,  and 
rode  rapidly  home  again.  ' '  And  they  call  this  religion  ! ' ' 
said  Edith,  shuddering,  "and  think  such  cruel  sacrifices 
can  be  acceptable  to  a  God  of  mercy,  whom  we  know  to 
be  a  God  of  love.  Well  may  we  echo  the  cry  of  Madame 
Roland  in  the  French  revolution,  <O  Liberty,  what  crimes 


308  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

are  committed  in  thy  name ! '  and  apply  it  to  religion — if 
we  can  call  a  terrible  superstition  like  this  by  so  holy  a. 
name." 

Askaros  fully  shared  in  her  indignation  and  disgust  at 
such  a  profanation,  the  native  Christians  in  the  East  re- 
taining much  of  the  old  Scriptural  belief  in  the  active 
agency  of  devils  and  other  evil  spirits  in  human  affairs, 
which  European  faith  has  discarded.  But  he  informed 
her  also,  that  it  was  his  unpleasant  duty  to  accompany  the 
consul-general  on  his  official  visit  to  that  ceremony  after 
mid-day,  it  being  his  policy,  for  the  moment,  to  identify 
himself  with  the  Consulate  as  much  as  possible.  He  told 
her  the  sight  would  be  a  novel  one  to  him  also,  as  he  had 
carefully  avoided  seeing  it  hitherto,  and  would  not  now, 
were  it  not  compulsory  upon  him ;  having  ever  regarded 
it  as  a  kind  of  devil-worship,  or  shadow  of  the  old 
heathen  practice  of  human  sacrifice,  to  propitiate  their 
cruel  divinities. 

At  the  appointed  hour,  however,  he  accompanied  the 
consular  cortege,  and  found  himself,  with  them,  pro- 
vided with  a  place  in  a  large  window  in  a  house  over- 
looking the  scene,  at  which  the  Sheik  was  to  dismount 
after  his  fearful  ride.  Glancing  his  eye  over  the  places 
reserved  for  the  high  officials,  he  observed  that  the  Vice- 
roy was  not  present,  although  represented  by  several  of 
his  Ministers.  This  he  considered  strange,  for  the  cruel 
nature  of  Abbas  delighted  in  such  exhibitions,  and  he 
had  revived,  under  his  reign,  the  rigor  of  these  rites,  dis- 
couraged by  his  more  humane  grand-father  and  his  more 
civilized  kinsmen. 

This  was  the  strange  scene  they  saw,  to  which  earth 
can  offer  no  parallel,  save  in  the  procession  of  the  car 
°f  Juggernaut,  in  the  remoter  East  —  a  kindred  supersti- 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  309 

tion,  yet  more  bloody  and  cruel  than  the  Doseh,  because 
involving  a  greater  loss  of  life. 

In  the  open  space  below  was  packed  a  dense  crowd  of 
people,  of  all  classes  and  conditions,  from  the  Bey  or 
Pasha,  on  splendid  Arab  charger,  with  crimson  velvet 
saddle  and  housings,  and  jewelled  head-stall,  to  the  re- 
spectable merchant,  decently  clad ;  thence  lower  down 
to  the  half-naked  Fellah  in  blue  shirt,  or  totally  naked 
Santon  or  Fakeer,  half-crazed  with  fanatical  frenzy  or 
self-imposed  privation. 

Under  the  trees  of  the  Ezbekieh  might  be  seen  the 
adroit  Eastern  jugglers  plying  their  trade,  and  exhibiting 
wonderful  feats  in  the  open  air.  Dancing-girls  and 
singing-girls  also  were  posturing  and  screaming  to  ex- 
cited audiences ;  for  all  police  rules  are  relaxed,  and  all 
is  license  on  the  day  of  the  Doseh. 

Snake-charmers  were  also  there,  who  not  only  played 
with  huge  cobras,  in  the  midst  of  a  circle  ranged  at 
respectful  distance  around,  but  bit  and  tore  with  their 
teeth  pieces  out  of  the  writhing  reptiles,  which  they 
seemed  to  swallow,  almost  maddening  under  the  effects 
of  their  poisonous  meal. 

Other  jugglers  there  were :  swordsmen  who  not  only 
went  through  the  sword -exercise  and  mimic  gladiatorial 
conflicts,  but  thrust  knives  and  swords  through  different 
parts  of  their  own  naked  bodies  and  cheeks,  until  they 
were  skewered  with  them  ;  but  no  drop  of  blood  flowed, 
yet  the  illusion  of  the  trick  was  perfect. 

Over  all  this  crowd  rose  the  confused  hum  of  the 
sound  of  many  voices ;  the  deep  gutturals  of  the  Arab 
men  blending  with  the  shrill  shrieks  of  the  women,  and 
the  hoarse  cries  of  the  jugglers  and  Santons,  mingled 


310  A  SKA  R  OS    A'ASSIS. 

with  the  discordant  sounds  of  the  rude  Egyptian  music, 
accompanying  the  singers  and  the  dancing-girls. 

It  was  as  confused  a  bedlam  of  sounds  as  of  sights : 
but  suddenly  silence  fell  on  the  noisy  wrangling  crowd, 
a  stillness  so  sudden  and  so  deep  that  any  single  voice 
could  have  been  distinctly  heard,  and  all  eyes  were 
strained  toward  the  open  gate,  through  which  was  now 
borne  on  the  breeze  the  dull  muffled  sound  of  the  dara- 
buka,  or  fish-skin  drum,  announcing  the  approach  of  the 
returning  pilgrims. 

They  had  not  long  to  wait ;  for  soon  there  passed  under 
the  arch  of  the  gate  the  sacred  camel,  white  as  snow,  and 
richly  caparisoned,  with  a  kind  of  turret  on  his  back, 
in  which  were  the  holy  carpet  and  the  sacred  palm- 
branches  —  the  mahmal. 

Then  followed  a  long  succession  of  camels  and  horses, 
with  men  mounted  upon  them,  and  on  foot  the  Hadjis, 
or  pilgrims,  made  holy  by  their  visit  to  the  sacred  city  of 
Mecca,  purified  by  prayer,  and  absolved  from  earthly 
sins  by  that  pilgrimage. 

Then  came  riding  on  a  strong  white  horse  a  large 
heavy  man  with  a  stolid  face,  richly  dressed,  on  whom 
all  eyes  centred,  for  he  was  the  Sheik  who  was  to  ride 
that  horse  over  a  lane  of  living  bodies,  from  the  gate 
even  to  the  house  wherein  sat  Askaros  among  the  officials. 

There  was  a  movement  in  the  crowd,  and  a  lane  was 
quickly  formed,  as  if  by  magic,  in  the  very  midst  of  that 
mass  of  humanity,  apparently  so  compactly  jammed  and 
wedged  together  but  a  moment  before,  that  it  had  seemed 
impossible  to  make  space  for  a  child  to  pass  between 
them.  A  living  wall  was  promptly  formed  on  each  side 
of  this  new  lane,  composed  of  the  dusky  bodies  of  the 
spectators  who  stood  back,  leaving  space  enough  for  a 


A  SKA  I?  OS    KASSIS.  311 

man  to  lie  at  length  across  the  road.  Very  soon  that 
strange  living  pavement  was  laid  down  by  men  who  took 
the  bodies  and  ranged  them,  like  logs,  side  by  side  on 
the  path  thus  made,  the  head  of  one  alternating  with  the 
feet  of  the  other,  and  the  bodies  packed  down  and 
levelled  so  as  to  present  the  smoothest  possible  surface, 
no  leg  or  arm  being  allowed  to  display  itself.  The  men 
came  forward  voluntarily,  many  from  the  surrounding 
crowd,  others  from  the  Hadjis,  or  pilgrims.  Askaros 
observed  that  most  of  the  men  looked  as  though  drunk 
with  excitement,  or  drugged  with  opium,  foam  hanging 
from  the  lips  of  many,  and  the  eyes  of  most  of  them 
dull  and  bloodshot. 

Still  this  strange  work  went  on.  Still  the  only  sound 
which  broke  the  silence  was  the  dull  monotonous  beat  of 
the  drum.  Still  the  Sheik  sat  motionless  on  his  white 
horse,  a  man  on  either  side  supporting  him  on  his  saddle, 
in  which  he  swayed  heavily  from  side  to  side,  like  one 
half  drunk  or  half  asleep. 

The  preparations  seemed  now  complete,  and  there  was 
a  dead  pause  :  then  the  drum  beat  faster,  and  the  attend- 
ants of  the  Sheik  urged  the  reluctant  horse  to  take  his 
first  step  on  the  slippery  footing  of  human  bodies,  over 
which  his  path  lay. 

The  horse,  more  humane  than  his  rider,  recoiled  and 
refused,  snorting  with  terror  ;  but  the  attendants  and  the 
crowd  forced  him  on,  and  led  by  one  man  dragging  at 
his  bridle-reins,  scourged  by  another  from  behind,  while 
two  men  ran  alongside  over  the  bodies,  supporting  the 
swaying  Sheik  in  his  saddle,  the  heavy  horse,  shod  with 
iron,  bearing  the  heavy  man,  commenced  his  terrible 
journey,  passing  slowly  over  the  bodies  which  packed  the 


312  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

path  to  the  house,  a  distance  of  full  one  hundred  and 
fifty  yards. 

Every  forward  step  the  horse  took  he  appeared  to  re- 
coil, throwing  back  the  whole  weight  on  his  haunches ; 
but,  forced  onward  by  the  attendants,  would  put  down 
first  one  forefoot,  then  the  other,  cautiously,  like  one 
treading  upon  ice.  Whether  his  recoil  crushed  the  unfor- 
tunate human  beings  on  whom  his  full  weight  thus  was 
thrown,  and  on  whom  his  hind  feet  rested,  was  impos- 
sible to  be  discerned  ;  for  the  crowd  closed  in  so  fast  be- 
hind the  feet  of  the  charger,  and  bore  the  half  lifeless 
forms  so  swiftly  away,  that  Askaros,  from  his  elevated 
position,  could  not  tell  whether  any  injury  were  done  to 
life  or  limb  by  this  terrible  test.  The  pride  and  vanity 
of  relatives  and  friends,  too,  came  thus  in  aid  of  this 
priestly  juggle ;  for  naturally  no  one  liked  it  to  be  said 
or  known  that  the  displeasure  of  Allah  had  fallen  or  been 
visited  on  one  of  his  kindred  or  friends ;  so  if  the  men 
were  hurt,  their  injuries  were  concealed,  not  revealed. 
Askaros  thought  he  could  detect  blood  mingled  with  the 
froth  which  streaked  the  lips  of  some  of  these  poor  de- 
luded wretches,  but  whether  from  excitement  or  internal 
injuries  he  could  not  judge.  Others  he  saw  leap  up 
briskly,  and  pass  into  a  circle  of  congratulating  friends, 
who  seemed  to  have  made  their  venture  in  perfect  pos- 
session of  their  faculties  ;  but  the  great  majority  seemed 
to  have  been  drugged  so  heavily,  as  to  be  incapable  of 
any  active  exertion  of  mind  or  body. 

Such,  he  soon  saw,  was  the  case  with  the  Grand  Sheik 
himself,  who,  on  dismounting  in  the  courtyard  of  the  house 
after  his  dreadful  ride,  had  to  be  lifted  rather  than  assist- 
ed from  his  horse  ;  and,  as  he  stood  erect  that  the  faith- 
ful might  kiss  the  hem  of  his  sacred  robe,  or  the  fat  hand 


AS  A' A  If  OS    KASSIS.  313 

that  hung  down  heavily  and  nervelessly  by  his  side,  he 
rocked  and  reeled  like  a  drunken  man,  and  his  eye  pre- 
sented that  dead,  dull  appearance,  peculiar  to  the  opium 
or  haschish-eater,  when  the  vision  of  external  objects  is 
entirely  lost,  and  both  brain  and  body  are  in  the  som- 
nambulist condition. 

So  looked  the  Sheik  after  his  ride ;  and  Askaros  felt 
more  respect  for  our  common  humanity,  when  he  saw 
that  even  such  fierce  fanaticism  could  not  war  against 
Nature  in  this  great  outrage  upon  her  laws,  without  the 
artificial  aid  of  drugs,  to  stifle  the  voice  of  conscience, 
and  nerve  him  to  his  repulsive  task,  which  doubtless  he 
deemed  a  duty  and  religious  obligation. 

But  the  crowd  manifested  the  greatest  reverence  for  the 
chief  actor  in  this  cruel  scene,  which,  to  them,  was  a 
sacred  one. 
27 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

THE   SEARCH    THROUGH    THE    NIGHT. 

THE  Doseh  was  over ;  the  crowd  dispersed,  and  the 
officials  departed.  Askaros,  after  accompanying 
the  cortege  back  to  the  consular  residence,  impatiently 
turned  his  steps  toward  his  own  house,  to  sun  himself  in 
the  smiles  of  his  young  wife,  and  seek  an  antidote,  in  her 
society,  for  the  disgust  and  depression  the  scenes  he  had 
just  witnessed  had  inspired  in  his  breast. 

It  was  about  sunset  when  he  reached  his  house,  and 
great  was  his  disappointment  at  not  finding  Edith  there 
to  welcome  him,  which  was  the  more  singular  since  she 
had  never  before  ventured  out  without  his  protection. 
No  one  could  tell  whither  she  had  gone ;  but  his  anxiety 
was  dispelled  when  he  learned  she  had  been  accompa- 
nied, not  only  by  an  old  and  confidential  servant,  who 
was  a  kind  of  house-keeper,  but  by  Ferraj  and  another 
man-servant  also.  He  was  told  they  had  only  left  the 
house  half  an  hour  before  his  reaching  it. 

A  little  annoyed,  and  inspired  by  a  vague  uneasiness, 
which  he  condemned  himself  for  as  childish,  Askaros 
restlessly  paced  up  and  down  the  long  apartment,  unable 
to  sit,  smoke,  or  read,  vexed  at  himself  for  the  nervous 
feeling  he  could  not  conquer,  and  almost  irritated  against 

3'4 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  31$ 

his  young  wife,  for  the  first  time,  for  the  disquiet  she  was 
occasioning  him. 

Vainly  did  he  reason  with  himself  against  the  presenti- 
ment of  evil,  and  the  cloud  of  some  coming  sorrow, 
which  rested  like  a  black  shadow  over  his  soul,  and 
which  he  imputed  to  the  morbid  frame  of  mind  induced 
by  the  spectacle  he  had  seen  that  day.  But  his  reason 
and  judgment  were  not  strong  enough  to  dissipate  this 
shadow ;  and  as  the  evening  wore  on,  and  his  wife  did 
not  return,  nor  her  attendants  come  back  to  notify  him 
of  the  cause  of  her  detention,  his  uneasiness  rose  to  keen 
anxiety,  and  his  nervousness  increased  to  such  an  extent 
that  he  found  himself  utterly  unable  longer  to  endure  it, 
and  he  felt  he  must  go  forth  to  seek  her,  and  gain  relief 
from  his  own  suspense  by  active  search  for  her. 

The  vague  presentiment  of  evil,  which  had  in  the  be- 
ginning been  as  formless  and  shapeless  as  that  phantom 
thing  of  unutterable  horror  shadowed  forth  by  the  greatest 
genius  of  modern  romance,  in  his  "Dweller  on  the 
Threshold,"  now  began,  like  that  loathsome  thing,  to 
assume  shape  and  form,  and  his  busy  fancy,  under  the 
inspiration  of  fear,  conjured  up  terrible  images  of  woe 
and  horror.  Almost  every  description  of  accident  or  out- 
rage which  could  be  visited  upon  a  frail,  timid  woman, 
and  an  infidel,  by  the  hands  of  the  crazy  fanatics  let 
loose  on  the  city  on  this  day  of  unbridled  license,  ran 
riot  in  his  imagination ;  and  he  shuddered  as  he  recalled 
to  his  memory  many  of  the  repulsive  and  frenzied  faces 
of  those  fanatics  which  he  had  seen  in  the  crowd  that 
day,  any  one  of  whom  would  deem  he  did  Allah  a  service 
by  slaying  or  maltreating  an  infidel  woman  and  a  Frank. 

True,  Ferraj  was  with  her,  and  would  protect  her. 
Yet  he  was  only  one  man,  and  powerless  against  num- 


316  ASKAROS   KASSJS. 

bers.  A  thrill  of  fierce  anger  against  Ferraj  and  the 
female  servant  alternated  with  the  grief  at  his  heart. 
Why  had  they  not  warned  Edith  of  the  danger  of  going 
out  that  day  ?  They  well  knew  it !  and  he  cursed  the 
blind  obedience  of  Eastern  slaves,  which  made  them 
renounce  almost  the  right  and  the  exercise  of  inde- 
pendent thought  in  such  cases  as  this. 

But  had  anything  really  happened,  one  of  the  servants 
would  have  come  back  to  tell  the  tale.  He  was  'dis- 
quieting himself  idly.  Edith  had  only  gone  to  visit  El 
Warda,  feeling  lonely  in  his  absence,  and  not  knowing 
how  soon  he  would  return.  What  a  fool  he  was  to  tor- 
ture himself  needlessly  !  He  would  go  to  the  house  of  El 
Warda  forthwith,  where  he  was  sure  to  find  Edith,  and 
they  would  have  a  good  laugh  over  his  imaginary  terrors, 
of  which  he  began  to  feel  ashamed ;  yet  there  was  a 
sinking  sensation  at  his  heart  which  belied  these  hopeful 
thoughts.  Having  formed  his  determination,  he  pro- 
ceeded hastily  to  carry  it  out,  and,  leaving  a  message  for 
Edith,  in  case  she  should  return  in  his  absence,  strode 
away  in  the  direction  of  the  house  where  El  Warda  re- 
sided, which  was  not  far  distant. 

With  hope  and  fear  fluttering  wildly  at  his  heart,  he 
reached  the  house,  and  to  his  eager  inquiries  the  Boab 
responded  that  the  Sitta  Edith  had  not  been  there  that 
day,  he  was  quite  sure,  and  that  the  Sitta  El  Warda  her- 
self had  not  been  home  since  mid-day. 

"They  are  together,  then,  somewhere,"  said  Askaros 
to  himself,  catching  at  that  hope,  after  the  first  cold 
thrill  of  disappointment  had  passed ;  ' '  perhaps  at  the 
Coptic  convent.  I  will  see." 

Arrived  at  the  convent,  he  was  told,  in  answer  to  his 
inquiry,  that  El  Warda  was  there,  but  not  his  wife,  whom 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS. 

they  had  not  seen.  He  asked  to  see  El  Warda,  and 
learned  from  her,  to  his  surprise,  that  she  had  neither 
seen  nor  heard  from  Edith  that  day ;  but  suggested  she 
was  in  the  habit  of  visiting  the  American  missionaries' 
wives  very  often,  and  might  have  gone  there. 

Askaros  caught  at  the  idea,  and  rushed  off  imme- 
diately to  the  Syrian  quarter,  where  dwelt  the  missiona- 
ries, to  reach  which  he  had  to  cross  the  Ezbekieh,  as  it 
was  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  city. 

To  his  inquiries  there,  at  each  house  successively,  the 
same  response,  "  She  had  not  been  there  !  " 

Turning  his  footsteps  homeward,  he  consoled  himself 
with  the  thought  that  while  he  was  racing  over  Cairo 
after  his  wife,  she,  doubtless,  had  returned  home,  and 
was  impatiently  awaiting  his  return  also.  At  the  thought, 
he  quickened  his  pace,  and  almost  gayly  ran  through  the 
garden  on  reaching  his  house,  framing  some  tender  re- 
proach for  her  as  he  went. 

But  a  bolt  of  ice  seemed  to  penetrate  his  heart  when 
the  Boab,  in  response  to  his  eager  question,  answered  : 

' '  Sitta  barra  —  Moosh  foak  ! ' '  (The  lady  is  out — not 
come  home). 

He  staggered  against  the  door,  and  gasped  for  breath, 
like  one  who  has  received  a  deadly  blow.  A  horrible 
thought  crept  into  his  brain,  and  curdled  his  blood. 

"Could  the  vengeance  of  the  Princess  Nezle  have 
taken  this  direction,  and  stricken  him  in  the  point  she 
knew  the  most  vulnerable  ?  Were  his  pleasant  vices,  by 
a  dreadful  retribution,  thus  to  be  made  the  whips  to 
scourge  him?" 

His  hair  bristled  on  his  head  at  the  thought  of  Edith's 
being  in  the  power  of  the  wicked  woman,  whom,  in  the 
27* 


3l8  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

revulsion  of  his  sentiments  from  fondness  to  loathing,  he 
believed  fully  capable  of  the  commission  of  any  crime. 

Had  she  not  warned  him  that  her  hate  was  as  strong  as 
her  love,  and  her  vengeance  sure  against  all  who  offended 
her  !  By  a  refinement  of  cruelty,  might  she  not  have 
seized  his  heart,  his  soul,  and  keep  it  in  her  hands  to 
torture  ?  Nay,  was  not  her  purpose  already  effected,  and 
the  commencement  of  her  triumph  insured  by  the  torture 
he  was  then  undergoing  ?  Might  not  she,  adept  as  she 
was  in  cruelty,  protract  the  agonies  of  that  suspense  until 
they  became  unendurable — until  his  brain  gave  way  under 
the  intolerable  pressure  which  weighed  upon  it,  and  her 
work  ended,  as  with  her  own  father,  in  the  madness  of 
the  victim  ?  Was  he  not  on  the  eve  of  going  mad  now? 
for  he  felt  the  hot  blood  surging  up  into  his  head,  and 
bounding  madly  through  his  arteries,  while  his  eyeballs 
were  injected  with  blood,  and  his  brain  grew  incapable 
of  connected  thought  —  one  idea,  like  the  echo  of  a 
cuckoo-clock,  alone  ringing  through  his  mind : 

"  Go  and  find  her  at  Nezle''s  palace  !  Save  her  from 
the  tigress !  " 

All  that  has  taken  so  long  to  describe,  passed  with 
electric  rapidity  through  the  mind  of  Askaros  as  he  leaned 
against  the  door  of  his  own  dwelling,  after  receiving  the 
Boab's  answer. 

Raising  himself  suddenly  from  that  support,  the  as- 
tonished Boab  saw  him  rush  wildly  back  through  the 
garden-path  by  which  he  had  come,  heard  the  gate  close 
heavily  behind  him,  as,  with  despair  in  his  heart,  and 
desperate  resolve  on  his  face  strained  almost  to  insanity, 
and  with  wild  bloodshot  eyes,  which  seemed  not  to  see 
the  objects  before  them,  but  to  be  strained  on  vacancy, 
the  half  maddened  husband  staggered  forth  like  an  in- 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  319 

toxicated  man  into  the  starless  night,  bent  on  carrying 
out  his  desperate  resolve  of  rushing  again  into  the  den  of 
the  tigress,  from  which  he  had  before  so  narrowly  escaped. 

The  night  was  an  unusual  one  for  Cairo,  for  it  was  a 
stormy  and  a  black  one.  Neither  moon  nor  star  was 
visible  in  the  black  rack  of  clouds  which  obscured  the 
sky,  and  hung,  like  a  pall,  over  the  still  city,  as  though 
the  angry  heavens  frowned  on  the  place  and  people  who 
had  offended  them  by  the  spectacle  of  that  day.  From 
the  side  on  which  lay  the  desert  came  a  low  moaning 
sound,  with  a  puff  of  hot  air  —  the  breath  of  the  distant 
Khamseen  then  howling  over  the  desert ;  and  blood-red 
gleams  on  the  black  sky,  in  the  same  direction,  followed 
by  fitful  flashes  of  forked  lightning,  showed  there  was  a 
tempest  brewing  in  the  elements,  as  well  as  raging  in  the 
soul  of  the  solitary  man,  who  swept  along  on  his  mad 
errand,  heedless  of  all  the  presages  of  earth,  air,  and 
sky,  regardless  of  the  coming  storm,  and  as  fully  pos- 
sessed by  devils  which  rent  and  tore  heart,  body,  and 
brain,  as  was  ever  demoniac  in  Holy  Writ. 

On  through  the  deserted  city,  he  rushed  out  upon  the 
road  to  Boulak.  The  hot  wind  from  the  desert,  bearing 
its  fiery  sand  with  it,  swept  wildly  over  the  open  country, 
and  with  it,  for  the  first  time  in  seven  years,  rushed  down 
a  deluge  of  rain,  which  excited  mothers,  crouching  in 
the  half-opened  doors  of  their  mud-huts,  were  showing 
their  astonished  younger  children,  who  had  never  seen 
such  a  sight  before  as  water  falling  from  heaven  ! 

The  forked  lightning  following  the  crashing  thunder, 
which  pealed  like  artillery,  played  around  the  distant 
dome  and  minarets  of  the  Citadel,  and  lit  up  with  a  lurid 
glare  the  rushing  river,  the  sharp  cones  of  the  Pyramids, 


320  ASKAROS    K ASS  IS. 

and  the  solemn  stone  face  of  the  Sphinx,  looming  out 
more  weird-like  and  ghastly  under  this  spectral  light. 

But  all  these  sights  and  sounds  of  terror  were  unheeded 
by  the  solitary  living  creature  to  be  seen  on  that  deserted 
road  —  every  dumb  animal,  as  well  as  man,  having 
sought  shelter  —  who  rushed  on  regardless  of  howling 
Khamseen  wind,  burning  into  his  brain  —  of  rain  that 
drenched  him  through  his  thin  garments  —  or  lightning- 
flash  that  played  around  his  head,  striking  sometimes  a 
palm-tree  close  at  hand,  whose  shivered  boughs  and  scat- 
tered dates  would  strike  him. 

Onward  !  ever  onward  he  rushed,  on  as  wild  a  race 
and  in  almost  as  spectral  a  shape  as  the  horseman  of 
Burger1  s  ballad,  who  sought  also  his  bride — but  to  bear 
her  from  this  to  another  world  —  until  the  fire  in  his 
brain  could  sustain  his  failing  limbs  no  longer  against 
fatigue  and  exposure  to  the  elements,  while  the  fever  riot- 
ing in  his  blood  was  fed  by  the  poisonous  Khamseen  wind, 
scorching  brain  and  marrow.  But  still  he  staggered  for- 
ward— until,  as  he  reached  the  central  market  of  Boulak, 
yet  pressing  on  toward  that  fatal  palace,  the  earth  reeled 
under  his  feet  as  in  an  earthquake,  and  he  fell,  stretched 
on  the  ground,  without  sense  or  motion,  just  as  the  Muez- 
zin's cry  proclaimed  the  midnight  hour. 

At  early  dawn  a  party  of  Fellahs  bringing  their  pro- 
duce to  the  market,  found  lying  there  the  body  of  a  man, 
not  dead,  for  the  breath  came  gaspingly  from  the  labor- 
ing chest,  but  sore  stricken  with  fever,  and  when  they 
sought  to  question  him,  raving  wildly,  in  their  own  and 
strange  tongues,  of  secret  foes  and  deadly  perils  to  be 
met  and  conquered.  Among  his  ravings  their  quick  ears 
caught  the  name  of  Nezle'  Khanum  —  on  which  they 


ASKAROS    Ji'ASSIS.  $21 

shook  their  heads,  and  imitated  to  each  other  the  sipping 
of  a  cup  of  coffee  —  in  suggestion  of  poison. 

Finding  him  richly  dressed,  with  a  precious  ring  on 
his  finger,  they  summoned  the  Sheik  of  the  quarter,  who 
caused  him  to  be  placed  upon  a  litter,  and  conveyed  to 
Cairo,  where  he  was  placed  in  the  mosque  called  the 
Mauristan,  the  madhouse  of  that  city,  where  he  would 
be  kept  until  his  friends  should  claim  him  —  nothing 
found  on  his  person  indicating  who  he  was,  or  whence  he 
came. 

And  there  for  the  present  we  must  leave  him,  resuming 
his  interrupted  search  for  the  lost  wife — so  nearly  now  a 
widow. 

V 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

DAOUD-BEN-YOUSSOUF. 

A  LARMED,  she  knew  not  why,  by  the  sudden  appa- 
/~\  rition  of  Askaros  at  the  convent,  and  his  sudden 
departure,  as  well  as  by  the  evident  excitement  of  his 
face  and  manner,  El  Warda,  whom  the  storm  had  kept  a 
close  prisoner  at  the  convent  all  night,  early  next  morn- 
ing repaired  to  the  house  of  her  brother,  to  reassure  her- 
self, half  ashamed  of  her  own  apprehensions. 

For,  with  the  suddenness  common  in  these  climes,  the 
storm  of  the  past  night  had  sobbed  itself  to  rest,  far 
away  in  the  great  desert  of  Sahara,  and  the  only  traces 
left  of  its  visit  on  the  preceding  night  were  the  scattered 
boughs  of  the  trees,  and  unusual  dampness  of  the  earth 
in  the  garden  which  surrounded  the  house  of  Askaros. 

Above,  the  sky  was  as  blue  and  clear,  and  the  golden 
sunshine  as  bright,  as  though  the  storm  had  only  been  a 
bad  dream;  and  the  young  girl's  spirits  rose  in  harmony 
with  the  freshness  and  gladness  of  earth  and  sky. 

Blessed  privilege  and  faculty  of  youth  !  to  bathe  itself 
in  the  influences  of  external  nature :  to  which  it  draws 
more  near  than  in  later  years,  when  hope  and  joy  revisit 
not  so  readily  the  barren  fields  of  the  wearied  heart, 

322 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  323 

strewn  with  the  ashes  of  many  of  their  flowerets,  which 
once  bloomed  and  blossomed  there ;  and  memory  haunts 
the  shrines  her  younger  and  brighter  sisters  were  wont  to 
occupy,  and  send  forth  their  oracles  in  vague  thoughts 
and  wishes,  all  the  more  enchanting  because  of  their  in- 
distinctness. 

So  the  young  El  Warda,  her  calm  countenance  reflect- 
ing the  serenity  of  her  soul,  soothed  by  the  fresh  beauty 
of  the  morning,  half  smiled  to  herself  at  the  disquietude 
her  brother's  visit  had  given  her  the  previous  night,  as 
she  walked  slowly  up  the  garden-path.  But  the  smile 
faded  from  her  face  when  the  Boab  told  her  that  neither 
the  Effendi  nor  the  Sitta  had  returned  home  the  previous 
night,  adding,  in  a  mysterious  whisper,  "but  Fatima(the 
female  servant)  came  back  this  morning  at  dawn,  and  has 
strange  things  to  tell." 

With  an  ominous  sensation  of  having  to  hear  of  some 
dreadful  thing,  El  Warda  pushed  past  the  Boab,  and  ran 
up  into  the  house  to  the  apartment  of  Fatima,  whom  she 
found  sitting  on  the  floor,  rocking  herself  to  and  fro  in 
an  agony  of  grief,  and  wailing  at  times,  as  though  follow- 
ing a  funeral. 

At  the  presence  of  her  young  mistress,  of  whom  she 
was  very  fond,  the  old  woman  ceased  her  moan,  rose  to 
her  feet,  and  seizing  the  hand  of  the  young  girl,  pressed 
and  kissed  it  fervently ;  then  resumed  her  seat,  and  her 
wailing  once  more,  like  one  who  mourns,  not  to  be  com- 
forted. 

Alarmed,  more  than  words  can  tell,  by  this  conduct  on 
the  part  of  one  usually  so  stoical  as  the  old  Copt  woman, 
El  Warda  first  sought  to  tranquillize  her,  and  then,  in 
broken  fragments,  extracted  from  her  the  strange  story 
she  had  to  tell. 


324  A  SKA  R  OS    /CASSIS. 

It  seemed  that  on  the  previous  evening,  about  an  hour 
before  sunset,  while  Edith  was  sitting  in  her  own  room, 
with  Fatima  in  attendance,  playing  with  her  Barbary 
dove,  which  had  been  made  a  great  pet  by  her,  she  re- 
ceived a  letter  that  seemed  to  give  her  great  pleasure, 
which  she  told  the  woman  was  from  her  friends  in  Eu- 
rope, who  were  then  daily  expecting  her  to  join  them. 
She  had  taken  a  small  gold  pencil  which  hung  to  a  chain 
suspended  round  her  neck  with  other  trinkets  —  a  gift 
from  Askaros  —  and  was  sketching  on  the  blank  page  of 
the  letter  a  rude  outline  of  the  steamer  she  expected  to 
sail  in,  to  give  Fatima  an  idea  of  it,  she  never  having  seen 
any  boat  larger  than  a  dahabieh,  when  a  messenger  was 
announced,  who  would  deliver  his  message  only  to  Edith 
herself. 

The  man  being  ordered  to  come  in,  presented  himself 
and  said  he  was,  as  he  seemed  to  be,  one  of  the  native 
Dragomen,  who  swarm  about  the  hotels,  to  act  as  guides 
to  travellers.  He  spoke  a  little  French,  and  explained 
in  that  language  that  he  had  been  sent  by  the  landlord 
of  the  Hotel  d' Orient  to  say  to  the  wife  of  Askaros  Ef- 
fendi  that  an  accident  had  happened  to  her  husband  — 
how,  he  did  not  precisely  know  —  and  that  he  was  then 
lying  there  under  charge  of  a  physician.  The  landlord 
had  further  bid  him  say  that  as  the  wife  might  wish  to 
come  immediately  to  her  husband,  who  could  not  be  re- 
moved, he  had  sent  a  carriage  for  her,  that  she  might  do 
so,  and  that  Askaros,  though  severely,  was  not  danger- 
ously hurt. 

The  man  added  this  was  all  he  knew,  and  that  the  car- 
riage awaited  her  at  the  end  of  the  street  opening  on  the 
Mooskie, 

Edith,  immediately  rising  up  in  great   agitation,  de- 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  $2$ 

clared  her  intention  of  going  at  once,  gave  the  man  a 
liberal  backschisch,  and,  accompanied  by  Fatima  as  well 
as  by  Ferraj,  who  insisted  on  taking  another  man  with 
them,  followed  the  Dragoman  through  the  garden  and 
up  the  narrow  streets  leading  to  the  Mooskie. 

They  had  gone  about  half  the  distance,  and  were  in 
one  of  the  narrowest  streets,  which  was  perfectly  deserted, 
when  their  conductor  gave  a  low  whistle,  a  door  suddenly 
opened  from  what  seemed  a  hareem  wall,  and  six  black 
eunuchs,  well  armed,  rushed  out,  and  threw  cloaks  over 
the  head  of  her  mistress  and  herself,  and  bore  them 
rapidly  away  to  a  carriage  at  the  end  of  the  street,  in 
which  they  were  conveyed,  bound  and  gagged  for  what 
seemed  to  her  a  great  distance,  though  in  what  direction, 
in  her  confusion,  was  impossible  to  tell.  When  they 
stopped,  she  as  well  as  her  mistress  was  lifted  out,  and 
where  they  took  the  latter  she  had  no  means  of  knowing, 
as  she  had  never  seen  her  since. 

She  had  heard  the  clash  of  arms  when  first  seized,  and 
supposed  that  Ferraj  and  the  other  slave  had  made  some 
resistance,  and  been  overpowered.  She  herself  had  been 
left  lying  all  night  on  the  floor  of  a  room.  She  was 
given  food,  but  her  eyes  had  been  kept  blindfold,  and 
had  been  taken  up  again  a  few  hours  before,  placed  on  a 
donkey  before  a  man,  who  held  her,  and  dropped  in  the 
street  near  the  garden  of  Askaros,  still  bound,  where  she 
had  been  found  by  some  passers-by  and  released,  after 
which  she  had  come  home,  to  find  her  master  gone  also, 
whither  no  one  knew. 

Neither  Ferraj  nor  the  other  slave  had  returned,  and 

though  she  had  gone  to  the  spot,  or  as  near  it  as  she  could 

recollect,  the  rain  had  washed  away  all  traces  of  blood, 

if  any  had  been  shed,  and  she  could  not  be  quite  certain 

28 


326  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

as  to  the  exact  place  where  the  thing  happened,  there 
were  so  many  doors  in  the  wall  leading  to  so  many  dif- 
ferent hareems.  This  was  all  she  knew  or  could  tell. 

"  Oh,  the  unhappy  house !  "  she  moaned,  wringing  her 
hands,  and  rocking  her  body  to  and  fro.  "  Never  has 
there  been  any  luck  in  it  since  my  old  master  died,  and 
you  left  it.  Even  the  Barbary  dove,  the  Sitta  Edith  loved 
so  much,  has  left  it  too,  for  I  have  tried  vainly  to  find  it 
among  the  others.  I  would  have  known  it,  since  it  has 
a  blue  ribbon  round  its  neck  the  Sitta' s  own  hands  had 
tied  there." 

A  ray  of  hope  shot  through  the  heart  of  El  Warda  as 
the  old  woman  wailed  thus,  doubtless  the  dove,  with 
which  she  had  been  playing,  had  been  forgotten  by  Edith 
in  her  agitation,  and  nestling  in  her  bosom,  as  was  its 
wont,  must  have  been  borne  away  with  her.  Its  com- 
panionship would  be  a  consolation  to  the  poor  girl  in  her 
captivity,  and  it  possibly  might  bring  a  message  from  her, 
did  her  captors  not  discover  it.  To  so  slight  a  spar  of 
hope  will  a  loving  heart  cling  when  all  looks  desperate, 
that  El  Warda  felt  a  glow  of  pleasure  at  this  discovery. 

But  where  was  her  brother,  whose  counsel  and  courage 
were  so  essential  to  unravel  this  mystery  and  punish  this 
villany?  No  one  in  the  house  could  give  her  the  slight- 
est clue,  except  the  Boab,  who  told  the  little  he  knew. 

Was  it  possible  then  that  the  tale  was  partly  true,  and 
he  was  lying  at  the  Hotel  d' Orient,  possibly  wounded  by 
the  same  treacherous  villains  who  had  set  the  snare  for 
his  wife  ?  Anything  was  better  than  suspense  — she  would 
go  and  see.  So  taking  Fatima  and  a  man-slave  with  her, 
the  girl  bent  her  steps  to  the  hotel. 

She  was  courteously  and  kindly  received  by  the  land- 
lord— who  knew  the  Askaros  family  well  —  who  assured 


.A  S  KA  R  O  S    KA  S  S I S.  327 

her  he  had  never  sent  the  message,  nor  seen  Askaros,  and 
that  the  whole  story  was  a  pure  fabrication. 

In  utter  bewilderment  and  despair  the  half-distracted 
girl,  forgetting  her  maidenly  scruples,  and  all  except  the 
necessity  of  some  friendly  aid  and  counsel,  repaired,  for 
the  second  time  in  her  life,  to  the  house  of  Daoud-ben- 
Youssouf,  near  by  the  hotel,  in  the  hope  that  he,  with  his 
craft  and  sagacity,  both  of  which  she  rated  very  high, 
might  be  able  to  penetrate  this  mystery,  which  had  so 
suddenly  enveloped  the  two  beings  nearest  and  dearest 
to  her  of  any  on  earth  —  the  one  for  his  own  sake,  the 
other  because  so  dear  to  him. 

A  second  time  then,  accompanied  by  Fatima,  unan- 
nounced, she  passed  up  the  steep  narrow  steps,  and  into 
the  sitting-room  where  their  previous  interview  had  taken 
place,  and  again  found  the  master  of  the  house  alone. 

But  she  started  back  with  surprise  and  a  feeling  of  pity, 
when  she  saw  the  change  which  a  few  weeks  had  wrought 
in  the  Syrian's  face  and  mien  since  she  last  had  seen  him. 
Daoud  was  sitting  moodily  on  his  divan,  his  neglected 
chibouque  fallen  from  his  hand,  upon  the  floor,  no  books 
or  papers  near  him  as  usual,  his  head  sunk  on  his  chest, 
his  shoulders  stooping  like  those  of  an  old  man.  He 
was  plunged  in  a  reverie  which,  from  the  expression  of 
his  face,  was  painful,  and  so  deep  that  he  did  not  observe 
her  entrance  until,  gliding  up  to  him,  she  touched  him 
on  the  arm  to  attract  his  attention  — Fatima  guarding  the 
doorway  as  before. 

Startled  by  the  touch,  Daoud  looked  up,  and  her  heart 
smote  her  as  she  saw  how  wan  and  wasted  looked  now 
that  once  smooth  face,  on  which  deep  lines  of  care  or 
pain  had  been  suddenly  and  prematurely  traced,  as 
though  by  the  burning  plowshare  of  passion ;  while  the 


328  ASA'AXOS    A'ASSIS. 

sunken  bloodshot  eye,  formerly  a  still  deep  well  of  dark 
light,  with  a  wolfish  glare  looked  out  from  two  deep  hol- 
lows surrounded  by  livid  rings,  like  the  baleful  eyes  of 
a  ghoul  glaring  out  of  the  face  of  a  corpse.  The  Copt 
turban  had  been  pushed  away  from  his  head,  as  though 
to  cool  the  fever  which  consumed  it,  and  streaks  of  gray 
were  visible  among  the  thick  curls  of  his  dark  hair,  while 
his  whole  air  and  attitude  indicated  the  extreme  of  physi- 
cal and  moral  depression  —  almost  despair  —  strange  to 
witness  on  a  face  she  recollected  well  so  youthful,  smooth 
and  smiling  a  few  short  moons  before. 

Shocked  and  astonished  too  much  to  speak  or  act,  with 
a  sick  feeling  of  remorse  at  her  heart  at  a  change  which 
she  attributed  to  a  hopeless  passion  for  herself,  the  young 
girl  stood  spell-bound  and  motionless ;  but  that  feeling 
was  changed  to  terror,  as  the  Syrian  sprang  up,  a  gleam 
of  madness  in  his  eye,  and  clutched  at  something  in  his 
breast  with  his  right  hand,  waving  her  off  from  him  with 
his  left,  with  a  gesture  full  of  wild  fury  not  unmingled 
with  fear. 

"  Avaunt,  devil !  "  he  hissed,  in  a  low  strained  whisper. 
"Dost  thou  hear  the  wicked  whisper  of  my  heart,  and 
come  to  tempt  me  in  the  shape  of  the  only  angel  this  foul 
earth  holds,  reeking  as  it  is  with  treachery,  crime,  and 
sin?  Lost  as  I  am,  and  reft  of  earthly  hope,  not  yet  am 
I  ready  to  sell  my  soul,  even  at  the  price  of  the  delusion 
and  the  snare  thou  hast  so  cunningly  set  for  me  !  Apage, 
Sathanas  !  Vade  retro  ! ' '  and  he  made  the  sign  of  the 
cross  in  the  air.  "  If  the  monks  and  priests  lie  not,  that 
spell  should  disperse  thee  into  foul  vapor,  and  drive  thee 
back  to  Gehenna  again  !  ' ' 

And  with  wild  straining  eyes,  and  heaving  chest,  the 


ASA'AKOS    A'ASSIS.  329 

Syrian  stood  still,  as  though  to  witness  the  effect  of  his 
incantation. 

"Poor  Daoud  !  to  whom  I  promised  to  be  as  a  sister," 
stole  in  on  the  madman's  ear  the  soft,  sweet  tones  of  the 
voice  he  loved  best  to  hear :  ' '  What  frenzy  possesses  thee 
to  rave  thus,  and  to  look  so  wildly  ?  Art  thou  ill  ?  Hath 
too  much  labor  of  body  or  mind  so  shaken  thy  nerves, 
that  thou  mistakest  thy  sister  El  Warda  for  an  evil  spirit 
to  be  banished  by  incantations  ?  What  sorrow  or  pain 
hath  wrought  this  fearful  change  in  thee,  making  thee 
prematurely  old  ?  Confide  it  to  thy  sister  :  and  though 
she  is  sadly  in  need  of  consolation,  coming  hither  for 
counsel  in  her  deep  distress,  she  yet  will  strive  to  share 
thy  sorrow,  and  soothe  thy  pain ;  for  strange  woe  and 
trouble  have  fallen  again  on  the  home  of  her  childhood 
and  thine,  O  Daoud,  my  brother  !  " 

The  effect  of  the  harp  of  David  over  the  moody  mad- 
ness of  Saul,  was  not  greater  than  the  magical  change 
which  passed  over  the  Syrian's  face  and  mood,  as  the 
music  of  that  beloved  voice  fell  upon  his  ear,  and  stole 
softly,  like  the  dew  from  heaven  on  arid  soil,  into  his 
parched  and  thirsty  soul.  His  rigid  countenance  relaxed, 
the  deep  lines  disappeared,  his  face  resuming  its  look  of 
youth  once  more,  as  cloud  after  cloud  seemed  to  roll 
away  from  brain  and  heart,  which  they  had  kept  so  long 
in  dark  eclipse. 

The  light  of  intelligence  shone  again  in  his  eye,  re- 
placing the  wild  glare  of  the  moment  before ;  his  col- 
lapsed and  shrunken  form  appeared  to  dilate  with  the 
rapid  heaving  of  his  heart :  and  El  Warda  saw  again  be- 
fore her  the  Daoud  she  knew,  not  the  spectral  distortion 
of  him  she  had  looked  upon  the  moment  before. 

Slowly,  like  one  awakening  from  a  dream,  the  Syrian 
28* 


330  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

passed  his  hand  wearily  over  his  brow,  as  though  to 
collect  his  scattered  thoughts,  a  deep  sigh  broke  from  his 
overburdened  heart,  his  right  hand  stole  away  from  the 
object  it  clutched  at  in  his  breast,  and  fell  to  his  side, 
the  other  played  nervously  with  the  sash  around  his  waist, 
while  his  large  eyes  filled  slowly  with  tears,  which  glist- 
ened but  fell  not. 

To  her  surprise  he  made  no  step  forward  to  take  the 
maiden's  hand,  but  standing  as  if  carved  out  of  marble, 
let  the  slow  utterances  fall  from  his  trembling  lips,  like 
one  talking  in  a  trance. 

"And  it  is  not  indeed  an  apparition  sent  from  Gehenna, 
in  answer  to  the  prayers  of  my  mad  and  desperate  heart, 
to  tempt  me  to  perdition,  but  the  angel  of  light  herself,  in 
bodily  presence,  that  comes  to  look  upon  the  lost  man 
that  was  once  Daoud-ben-Youssouf  ? 

"  Thy  hand  I  dare  not  touch  !  for  my  presence  alone 
is  pollution  to  one  so  pure  and  saint-like  as  thou  !  oh, 
bright  star  of  the  morning  of  my  youthful  hope,  now 
shining  so  purely  down  on  the  dim  depths  of  the  night 
of  my  despair ! 

"  I  hear  the  music  of  thy  voice,  but  my  weary  senses 
have  caught  not  the  meaning  of  thy  words.  Comest  thou 
to  me,  oh,  pure  of  heart  and  spirit !  from  the  companion- 
ship of  the  white-robed  Coptish  nuns  —  those  saints  on 
earth  —  to  bid  me,  the  lost  sheep  from  their  flock,  take 
the  counsel  as  given  by  the  wife  of  '  the  man  of  Uz '  in 
the  Holy  Book,  '  Curse  God,  and  die'?" 

"Art  thou  then  mad  indeed,  O  Daoud?"  said  the 
maiden  shuddering,  more  terrified  by  the  sad  impiety  of 
this  blasphemous  speech,  made  without  passion  and  ex- 
citement, than  by  the  frenzied  fierceness  of  his  previous 
manner.  "  Art  thou  then  mad  indeed,  that  thou  speak- 


ASK'AROS    KASSIS.  331 

est  such  strange  wild  things,  which  make  me  shudder? 
Is  this  meet  greeting  for  a  friend  who  cometh  to  thee  as 
a  sister,  and  expecting  sympathy,  meets  only  insult  ?  I 
have  remained  here  too  long  already  then  !  Farewell, 
unhappy  Daoud.  May  God  forgive  thee  for  thy  sins  ! 
my  forgiveness  thou  hast  already  —  if  that  matters  any- 
thing !  I  shall  pray  morning  and  evening  to  Sitta  Mariam 
for  the  renewal  of  thy  health  of  body  and  mind,  for 
surely  both  are  strangely  sick  at  present.  Farewell !  ' ' 

As  she  turned  to  go,  her  words  and  movements  seemed  to 
break  the  spell  which  bound  the  Syrian.  A  more  human 
expression  came  into  his  face,  and  his  dilating  eyes,  still 
moist  with  unshed  tears,  looked  wistfully  into  hers,  as  he 
stretched  forth  both  his  arms  with  a  pleading  gesture,  as 
though  to  detain  her. 

"  Stay,  for  the  love  of  God !  for  the  love  of  thine  own 
patron  saint !  for  the  love  of  Sitta  Mariam  !  Is  it  possible 
thou  hast  not  heard  !  ' ' 

"  Heard  what?  "  asked  the  girl,  in  astonishment  at  the 
eagerness  of  his  face  and  gesture,  like  those  of  a  man 
whose  very  life  hung  on  the  answer  to  his  question. 

"Of  me?"  gasped  Daoud.  "Did  not  the  Hebrew 
tell  thee? — for  I  know  now  where  thou  wast  hidden,  but 
knew  it  too  late  !  ' ' 

"  He  never  breathed  thy  name,"  answered  El  Warda; 
"and  since  my  brother's  return  he  hath  been  away  on 
business,  in  Jerusalem,  among  his  people.  Now  I  see 
why  thou  wert  hurt  and  angered,  thinking  Moussa  had 
told  me  of  thine  illness,  for  I  see  thou  hast  been  very  ill, 
O  Daoud  !  and  I  fear  me  art  still  so ;  and  having  had  no 
word  from  me,  thought  it  unkind.  But  believe  me,"  she 
added,  tears  rising  into  her  soft  dark  eyes,  "  I  did  not 


332  A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS. 

know  it,  but  thought  thee  well  and  happy,  else  thou 
shouldst  have  heard  from  thine  old  playfellow." 

As  she  spoke,  with  sweet,  serious  earnestness,  incredulity 
gave  place  on  the  face  of  Daoud  to  conviction,  and  a 
wild  hope  shone  in  his  eye  and  stole  into  his  soul. 

She  did  not  know  then  of  his  treachery?  Moussa 
either  had  not  known,  or  had  not  told  her.  Possibly 
Abbas,  for  reasons  of  his  own,  had  kept  his  secret !  and 
it  was  safe  now  and  forever,  for  the  same  reasons  would 
always  restrain  the  politic  tyrant  from  divulging  it.  But 
one  other  knew  it  too,  and  that  a  woman  !  a  bold,  bad, 
unscrupulous  woman !  But  between  her  and  El  Warda 
was  a  difference  as  of  light  and  darkness,  and  it  was  not 
probable  the  pure  child  would  ever  willingly  see  that 
wanton  woman  again,  whose  very  name  was  a  hissing  and 
scorn  in  every  coffee-house  and  bath  at  Cairo  —  more  so 
of  late  than  ever.  He  was  safe  then,  where  alone  he 
dreaded  detection,  contrary  to  his  worst  fears,  which  had 
scourged  him  like  scorpions. 

As  these  thoughts  swept  like  lightning-flashes  across  his 
subtle  intellect,  he  felt  a  thrill  of  fierce  joy  pulsating  in 
his  heart,  and  a  secret  hope  re-awakening  in  his  soul. 
With  the  renewal  of  that  hope  came  swiftly  back  the 
craft  and  the  courage  which  could  defy  man  and  God, 
and  the  dogged  resolve,  to  win  the  woman  before  him  — 
or  die. 

Those  thoughts  and  that  resolve  passed  through  his 
brain,  even  while  El  Warda  was  speaking,  and  when  she 
ceased,  his  answer  was  prompt  and  ready. 

"  Pardon  me,  sweet  angel !  "  he  said,  pleadingly,  "if 
I  did  you  injustice.  But  I  have  been  very  ill,  and  am 
still  far  from  perfect  recovery,  as  thou  canst  see — sick, 


A  SKA  R  OS    JCASSIS.  333 

too,  at  heart  as  well  as  in  body,  when  it  seemed  to  me 
the  whole  world  had  deserted  me. 

"  The  frenzy  of  my  fever  was  upon  me  but  now,  and 
I  know  not  what  wild  things  I  may  have  said  and  done  ! 
Something  outrageous  I  fear  me,  else  thou  never  wouldst 
have  taken  offense  at  the  poor  half-crazed  sick  man.  But 
thy  voice  and  presence  and  gentle  pity  have  chased  the 
fever  from  my  blood,  and  I  feel  the  spring-tide  of  return- 
ing health  flowing  in  as  the  sickness  ebbs.  But  thou  wilt 
forgive  me?  —  and  already  in  my  selfishness  I  have  talked 
too  much  of  one  so  insignificant  as  myself.  Thou  hast 
something  to  tell  and  to  ask  of  me?  Whatever  Daoud 
can  do,  El  Warda  has  but  to  command,  and  it  shall  be 
done." 

Greatly  relieved  by  the  change  in  Daoud's  manner,  and 
his  restoration  to  a  healthier  frame  of  mind  and  body,  El 
Warda  proceeded  to  relate  to  the  astonished  Syrian  the 
mysterious  disappearance  of  Askaros,  and  the  abduction 
of  Edith. 

The  Syrian  listened  in  silence,  only  occasionally  putting 
a  brie/  question,  and  when  she  had  finished  all  she  had 
to  say,  mused  a  few  moments.  Then  raising  his  head, 
and  fixing  upon  the  blushing  girl  an  eye  full  of  respectful 
admiration  and  deep  devotion,  took  her  hand,  laid  it 
gently  on  his  heart,  and  said  : 

' '  While  this  heart  beats,  the  wish  of  El  Warda  is  its 
law  !  Within  two  days,  if  thy  brother  and  sister  be 
alive,  thou  shall  know  where !  If  human  skill  and 
courage  can  extricate  either  or  both  from  any  peril  that 
may  menace  them,  thou  mayst  rely  upon  their  safety. 
Should  I  need  aid  from  any  quarter  thou  canst  influence, 
I  will  advise  thee.  It  is  not  well  that  I  should  be  seen 
at  thy  dwelling,  nor  seemly  that  thou  shouldst  come  to 


334  ASKAROS    A'ASS/S. 

mine ;  therefore  send  Fatima  to  me,  when  thou  hast 
aught  to  communicate. 

"Thou  little  knowest  how  much  good  thou  mayst 
have  done,  how  much  evil  have  spared  a  soul  pining  in 
pain,  by  this  visit.  Sheitan  hath  lost,  and  Sitta  Mariam 
gained  a  servant  through  thee  this  night." 

Then,  as  she  rose  to  go,  he  stooped  and  reverently 
kissed  the  hem  of  her  garment,  muttering  to  himself: 
"Thou  art  my  patron  saint !  thus  I  devote  myself,  body 
and  soul,  to  thy  service  !  " 

The  girl,  not  hearing  the  words,  but  interpreting  the 
look  and  gesture,  blushed  again,  raised  her  finger  as 
though  in  warning,  smiled  upon  him,  and  glided  away, 
leaving  him  alone  in  the  chamber  so  dim  and  desolate 
before,  but  now  brightened  and  sanctified  by  her  late 
presence  in  it. 

"  Ha!  ha  !  "  he  laughed  softly  to  himself;  "  the  omen 
was  false  after  all !  Though  the  hawk's  wings  have  been 
sadly  shorn  of  late,  he  may  catch  the  dove  yet !  But 
now  to  unravel  the  thread  of  this  double  mystery  !  I 
think  I  can  find  the  clue,  and  if  not,  why,  the  woman 
can  find  it  for  me.  But  I  will  not  try  that  resort  until 
all  others  fail.  It  is  hard  to  play  with  fire  without  getting 
scorched,  if  not  consumed.  Is  her  hand  in  this  ?  We 
shall  see  !  we  shall  see  !  " 

Revolving  many  thoughts  and  many  plans  in  his  subtle 
intellect,  now  roused  into  activity  once  more  by  his  re- 
newed, hopes  and  vanished  fears,  the  scheming  Syrian 
spent  that  night  in  pacing  up  and  down  his  room,  re- 
ceiving the  reports  of  various  emissaries,  whom  he  sent 
abroad  to  make  inquiries  in  different  quarters. 

Then,  as  the  first  gray  dawn  broke  forth  in  the  east,  he 
threw  on  his  cloak  and  sallied  forth,  muttering  to  himself: 
"  I  have  found  one  !  Now  to  find  the  other  ! ' ' 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

THE    DOVE    IN    THE    VULTURE'S    NEST. 

WHEN  Edith  recovered  from  the  surprise  and  stupor 
into  which  the  sudden  assault  of  her  captors  had 
thrown  her,  she  found  herself  being  hurried  rapidly 
along  in  a  carriage,  the  blinds  of  which  appeared  to  be 
closed. 

No  one  seemed  to  be  in  the  carriage  with  her  except 
Fatima ;  but  as  both  were  fast  bound,  gagged  and  blind- 
fold, it  was  impossible  to  know  positively,  or  to  com- 
municate with  each  other. 

After  making  several  frantic  but  useless  efforts  to 
liberate  her  hands,  or  uncover  her  eyes,  Edith  desisted 
in  despair,  and  resigned  herself  to  her  fate  without  fur- 
ther struggle.  Thus  she  proceeded  on  her  strange  jour- 
ney, for  what  appeared  to  her  many  hours,  in  a  silence 
broken  only  by  the  stifled  sobs  of  her  fellow-captive. 

She  was  so  utterly  bewildered  by  the  whole  occurrence, 
that  she  found  it  impossible  to  think ;  her  brain  whirled, 
and  her  thoughts  came  so  crowded  and  confused  as  to 
have  no  sequence  or  connection.  The  whole  thing  was 
such  a  mystery,  she  could  not  begin  to  fathom  the  mean- 
ing or  the  purpose  of  her  abduction ;  for  she  was  con- 

335 


336  ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS. 

scious  of  having  no  enemy,  and  the  thought  of  any  baser 
motive  never  entered  the  pure  mind  of  the  American 
girl,  whose  knowledge  of  evil  was  limited  to  the  con- 
fession made  every  Sunday  in  the  church  service,  but 
which  had  never  conveyed  any  practical  idea  to  her 
mind. 

Her  education  had  been  of  that  careful  kind  which 
instructs  a  woman  in  ancient  and  modern  history,  and 
keeps  her  utterly  ignorant  of  the  living  and  breathing 
world  around  her,  and  which  considers  purity  and  virtue 
to  consist  in  the  utter  ignorance  of  evil,  not  in  its  know- 
ledge and  resistance.  All  sights  and  sounds,  as  well  as 
books,  that  could  offend  maidenly  delicacy  had  been 
carefully  kept  from  her  by  her  instructors  first,  and  her 
fond  father  afterward ;  so  that  she  had  attained  the  age 
of  womanhood,  and  had  become  a  wife,  with  the  inno- 
cence and  the  heart  of  a  child. 

Romances  she  had  not  been  allowed  to  read,  except 
those  of  the  Puritan  type  approved  of  by  Miss  Primmins ; 
and  her  imagination,  therefore,  was  not  so-  excitable,  nor 
filled  with  the  same  images  as  those  of  her  schoolmates, 
who  had  surfeited  on  the  sweets  of  "  Lady  Audley's 
Secret,"  "  Strathmore,"  and  other  sensational  novels  of 
the  day. 

She  therefore  had  not  the  terrors  of  a  prurient  imagina- 
tion or  a  morbid  fancy  to  increase  the  pain  of  her  actual 
situation  ;  and,  although  naturally  terrified  at  her  strange 
position,  the  fear  of  something  worse  than  danger  or 
death,  which  can  haunt  a  woman  under  such  circum- 
stances, did  not  find  a  place  in  her  pure  mind. 

And,  even  in  the  midst  of  her  own  peril  —  whatever 
that  might  be,  of  which  she  had  a  very  misty  idea — one 
thought  brought  sweet  consolation  to  her.  The  woman 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  337 

and  the  wife  felt  a  joy  in  the  conviction  that  the  story  of 
her  husband's  accident  was  false,  and  that,  happen  what 
might  to  her,  he  was  in  no  danger,  nor  had  suffered  any 
injury ;  and,  womanlike,  in  that  thought  she  found  alle- 
viation for  her  own  pain. 

None  of  these  thoughts  consoled  the  Arab  woman  who 
lay  groaning  by  her  side,  and  who  appreciated  better 
than  her  mistress  the  real  nature  of  the  peril  which 
threatened,  and  the  purpose  of  the  abduction ;  for  her 
training  and  knowledge  of  life  were  of  the  kind  to  make 
her  comprehend  both,  and  no  doubt  entered  her  mind 
on  the  subject,  except  as  to  the  person  who  had  planned 
it ;  and  here  she  was  as  utterly  in  the  dark  as  her 
mistress. 

At  length  the  carriage  stopped,  and  by  a  great  effort 
Edith  raised  herself  up  from  the  seat  on  which  she  had 
been  thrown.  As  she  did  so,  she  felt  something  flutter- 
ing in  her  bosom,  and  immediately  recollected  that  her 
dove  had  nestled  there,  as  was  its  wont,  just  before  she 
sallied  out  to  go  to  her  husband,  and  had  been  forgotten 
in  her  excitement.  The  consciousness  of  the  presence 
of  even  that  helpless  thing  she  loved,  near  her  in  this 
hour  of  unknown  danger,  sent  a  thrill  of  pleasure  through 
her  breast.  It  seemed  to  her  an  indication  that  she  was 
not  quite  deserted,  while  she  felt  this  friend  nestling  near 
her  heart ;  and  this  little  incident  did  more  to  reassure 
the  sensitive  girl  than  a  more  material  fact  might  have 
done.  So  she  bent  her  head  down  with  difficulty,  to 
keep  the  bird  in  his  position,  fearing  it  might  be  taken 
from  her,  did  her  captors  see  it ;  and  the  dove,  as  though 
it  comprehended  her  design,  nestled  quietly  down  again, 
and  was  still  once  more. 

As  the  dove  moved,  he  had  pushed  some  hard  sub- 
29  W 


338  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

stance  next  him  against  her  breast  so  as  to  give  her  pain, 
and  Edith  remembered  that,  before  leaving  home  that 
morning,  Askaros  had  playfully  armed  her  with  a  small 
jewelled  dagger,  scarcely  more  than  a  toy,  telling  her, 
with  mock  solemnity,  that  every  Turkish  Odalisque  wore 
one  of  those,  and  that  she  ought  to  adopt  the  customs  of 
the  country  in  which  she  lived.  She  had  never  thought 
a  second  time  of  the  dagger,  as  she  did  of  the  dove,  for 
it  never  occurred  to  her  that  in  any  emergency  she  might 
have  occasion,  or  could  nerve  herself  to  use  it. 

When  the  carriage  stopped,  she  was  carefully  lifted 
out  by  two  persons,  and  borne  up  what  seemed  to  be  a 
long  flight  of  steps,  and  deposited  on  what  felt  like  a  soft 
divan  —  her  eyes  and  limbs  still  bound  —  and  then  left 
alone. 

She  could  hear  the  stealthy  footsteps  of  her  conduc- 
tors stealing  from  the  room,  and  a  door  close  behind 
them ;  then  she  was  again  left  to  silence,  solitude,  and  her 
own  reflections.  The  excitement  of  her  mind,  and  the 
critical  nature  of  her  situation,  prevented  sleep,  worn  and 
weary  as  she  was,  and  the  predominating  feeling  in  her 
mind  was  that  of  wonder,  not  unmixed  with  curiosity,  as 
to  what  all  this  meant.  Lying  there  undisturbed  for  some 
time,  she  began  to  believe  she  was  the  sport  of  some 
practical  joke,  which,  had  it  not  been  so  cruel,  she  would 
have  attributed  to  her  husband  ;  and  the  vague  fears 
which  had  at  first  assailed  her,  from  the  strangeness  of 
the  situation,  began  to  wear  away,  and  to  be  succeeded 
by  an  impatience  to  know  what  it  all  meant,  and  rejoin 
her  husband. 

But  she  was  not  destined  to  remain  much  longer  in  this 
suspense.  Again,  in  her  darkness,  she  heard  the  rus- 
tling of  the  curtain  over  the  door,  as  some  one  put  it 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  339 

aside,  followed  by  shuffling  steps  and  the  sweeping  sound 
of  a  woman's  dress  passing  over  the  floor.  The  moment 
after,  a  hand  was  busy  with  the  mufflers  which  covered 
her  head  and  bound  her  arms,  and  she  was  at  once  re- 
stored to  sight,  and  the  free  use  of  her  limbs  once  more. 
Her  eyes,  half  blinded  by  their  sudden  exposure  to  a 
blaze  of  light,  fell  first  on  the  face  and  form  of  a  Circas- 
sian woman,  both  of  which  must  once  have  been  beauti- 
ful, from  the  traces  still  left,  but  the  expression  of  whose 
countenance  was  not  prepossessing  now  —  hard,  leering, 
cunning  and  cruel.  She  was  very  richly  dressed,  in  Turk- 
ish style,  and  on  her  fingers,  neck  and  hair  glittered 
gems  of  great  cost  and  size.  She  peered  insolently  and 
inquisitively  into  the  uncovered  face  of  Edith,  ran  her 
eye  rapidly  over  the  slight  girlish  form,  and  burst  into  a 
roar  of  derisive  laughter,  as  though  equally  amused  and 
disgusted  at  the  survey,  and  with  some  ideas  it  excited. 

Repulsion,  terror,  and  indignation  struggled  successive- 
ly for  mastery  in  the  bosom  of  the  gentle  girl,  who  re- 
coiled instinctively  from  the  hag,  though  without  the 
slightest  suspicion  as  to  who  or  what  she  was,  or  clearly 
understanding  whence  the  repugnance  rose. 

She  turned  her  head  away  to  avoid  looking  at  the 
woman,  and  in  the  act  of  doing  so  her  eyes  fell  for  the 
first  time  on  the  objects  surrounding  her,  and  rested  upon 
the  details  with  wonder  and  admiration.  Never  in  her 
life  had  she  seen,  never  had  her  imagination  pictured  the 
possibility  of  such  luxury  and  lavish  expenditure  as  were 
displayed  in  the  apartment  in  which  she  now  found  her- 
self. It  was  not  a  large  room,  and  had  but  one  window, 
large,  and  latticed  in  Eastern  fashion,  so  that  the  occu- 
pant could  see  what  was  passing  outside,  being  herself 
invisible.  The  roof  was  vaulted  and  very  lofty,  with 


34°  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

small  perforations,  like  lattices,  on  the  side  of  the  wall 
opposite  the  window,  but  which  did  not  seem  intended 
to  give  light,  since  there  was  no  way  of  opening  them 
from  the  inside  of  the  room.  The  walls  and  ceiling  were 
of  the  most  elaborate  wood-work,  carved  in  fantastic 
patterns,  the  floor  of  tessellated  marble,  inlaid  with  squares 
of  pearl  and  ivory.  The  furniture  was  a  melange  of  the 
Oriental  and  European,  all  of  the  richest  and  most  costly 
kind,  with  large  mirrors  set  into  the  walls  on  all  four 
sides,  and  divans  covered  with  embroidered  damask 
serving  for  seats.  Small  oval  mirrors  set  in  frames  of 
pearl,  combs,  brushes  and  other  necessaries  of  the  female 
toilet  were  strewn  over  Koorsees  inlaid  with  pearl,  in 
corners  of  the  room  —  which  was  evidently  one  of  a  suite 
in  the  hareem  of  some  very  wealthy  man. 

Adjoining  this  room  a  half-opened  door  discovered  a 
most  luxuriously  fitted-up  bath-room  of  the  Turkish  kind. 

While  the  astonished  eyes  of  Edith  were  surveying  the 
apartment,  and  all  it  contained,  the  bold,  bright  eyes  of 
the  Circassian  woman  were  fixed  on  the  fair  fresh  beauty 
and  girlish  figure  of  the  young  American,  with  a  stare 
which  certainly  did  not  indicate  admiration,  but  the  re- 
verse. So  that  when  Edith  turned  her  head  again  from 
her  examination  of  the  room,  she  again  encountered 
those  leering  evil  eyes  —  more  like  those  of  the  lower 
animals  than  a  woman's  in  expression  —  and  could  not 
suppress  a  shudder. 

The  woman  saw  the  expression,  and  understood  it,  and 
her  face  darkened,  but  she  only  raised  her  hand,  and 
pointing  to  the  adjoining  room.  ' '  Hammam  ! ' '  (bath), 
she  said,  as  though  intimating  the  propriety  of  Edith 
availing  herself  of  that  luxury. 

Edith  shook  her  head  in  refusal. 


ASKAKOS    A' A  S3  IS.  34! 

Then  the  woman  commenced  talking  rapidly  to  her  in 
some  language  which  she  had  never  heard  before,  and 
which  she  supposed  to  be  Turkish ;  and  afterward  in 
another,  some  words  of  which  she  recognized  to  be 
Arabic. 

But  Edith,  who  understood  neither  language,  could  not 
comprehend  the  purport  of  her  words,  and  could  only 
shake  hes.head  in  reply  to  the  torrent  of  words,  accom- 
panied by  animated  gesticulation,  so  volubly  poured  out 
by  her  companion.  Failing  utterly  to  make  the  American 
woman  understand  her  meaning,  either  by  word  or  ges- 
ture, the  Circassian  seemed  to  lose  temper.  She  rose  up 
from  the  divan,  where-  she  had  squatted  down  beside 
Edith,  and,  with  a  gesture  of  impatient  anger,  muttering 
the  words  "Homar  Fransowee  !  "  (ass  of  a  Frank)  hob- 
bled out  of  the  apartment,  not  only  dropping  the  curtain 
behind  her,  but  closing  also  a  mahogany  door,  which 
Edith  heard  her  lock  behind  her. 

Believing  herself  alone  and  unseen,  the  poor  girl, 
whose  pride  had  sustained  her  in  a  show  of  courage  and 
coolness  she  did  not  feel  in  the  presence  of  that  odious 
woman,  whose  character  was  stamped  upon  her  face  so 
plainly  that  even  her  innocence  could  not  mistake  it,  the 
full  terror  of  her  situation  dawned  upon  her,  and  cover- 
ing her  face  with  her  hands  she  burst  into  tears  of  mingled 
fear  and  shame. 

For  the  first  time  the  suspicion  flashed  upon  her  why 
she  had  been  entrapped,  and  the  horror  of  the  thought 
was  almost  more  than  she  could  endure.  The  hideous 
reality  of  that  woman's  presence,  her  look  and  manner, 
as  well  as  the  appearance  of  the  place,  spoke  as  plainly 
as  words  could  have  done  the  character  of  its  occupants. 

She  was  a  prisoner  then  in  an  Egyptian  hareem  !    but 
29* 


342  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

whose  ?  That  question  she  asked  herself  in  vain,  for 
neither  her  memory  nor  her  imagination  could  give  her 
the  slightest  clue  to  that  mystery. 

How  was  she  to  escape  ?  This  was  the  next  thought 
which  entered  into  the  mind  of  the  American  girl,  under 
whose  soft  exterior  there  lay  concealed  a  strong  will  and 
a  resolute  soul,  though  neither  had  as  yet  been  tested  in 
her  smooth  summer  voyage,  thus  far,  over  the  sea  of  life. 
Now  that  the  clouds  darkened  and  the  storm  disturbed 
those  smooth  waves,  she  felt  her  energy  rising  with  the 
emergency,  dried  her  tears,  and  rising,  walked  to  the 
window  to  see  what  the  outlook  might  be. 

She  started  back  with  a  cry  of  surprise  at  the  scene 
which  met  her  view.  Immediately  below  the  window 
was  a  large  open  space,  surrounded  by  a  high  stone  wall ; 
beyond  that  again  a  long  low  range  of  barracks,  in  which 
she  saw  Egyptian  soldiers.  Above  the  roofs  of  the  bar- 
racks, far  as  the  eye  could  range,  on  every  side  there 
stretched  the  bare  bald  desert,  dotted  here  and  there  in 
the  distance  with  slow  moving  lines  of  horses,  camels 
and  men.  All  else  what  the  Scriptures  so  strongly  term, 
"the  abomination  of  desolation." 

With  a  sigh  she  turned  from  the  window,  more  mysti- 
fied than  ever,  for  the  dreariness  of  the  view  added  to 
the  oppression  which  weighed  down  her  spirit.  Throw- 
ing herself  again  down  on  the  divan,  she  gave  way  for  a 
few  moments  to  the  wildest  hysterical  grief;  then  rising 
up,  threw  herself  on  her  knees,  and  with  clasped  hands 
and  upturned  eyes,  prayed  long  and  fervently  that  God 
in  His  mercy  might  sustain  and  strengthen,  if  He  would 
not  deliver  her  from  those  strange  perils,  coming  so  un- 
expectedly in  the  hour  of  her  greatest  hope  and  happi- 
ness. Having  completed  her  prayer,  which  rose  on  high 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  343 

like  incense  from  the  altar  of  a  pure  but  sore-stricken 
heart,  to  the  Great  Creator  and  Judge  of  all  things  on 
this  small  dust-heap  we  call  a  world  —  doubtless  a  small 
speck  only  in  the  eye  of  Omnipotence  —  the  exhausted 
girl  sunk  down  and  fell  into  the  heavy  slumber  of  over- 
wrought brain  and  body,  forgetting  for  a  time  in  that 
blessed  oblivion  her  past  pangs  and  present  apprehen- 
sions. 

Little  did  she  imagine  that  when  she  deemed  the  All- 
Seeing  Eye  alone  beheld  her  in  that  chamber,  apparently 
so  secure  from  outward  intrusion,  that  a  human  eye  —  a 
dull,  greedy,  sensual,  vulture-like  eye — was  gloating  over 
her  charms,  and  feasting  on  the  beauties  of  her  person  — 
from  the  wealth  of  her  dishevelled  golden  hair,  streaming 
loose  on  her  ivory  shoulders,  having  broken  free  from 
restraints  of  comb  or  other  fastening  during  her  ride; 
over  the  dainty  symmetry  of  her  delicate  form,  just  ripen- 
ing into  perfect  womanhood  from  immature  girlhood, 
down  to  the  small  feet  peeping  out  from  beneath  the  long 
Frank  dress,  suggesting  the  symmetry  of  the  limbs  it  so 
decorously  concealed.  This  novelty  piqued  and  excited 
the  imagination  of  the  jaded  voluptuary,  wearied  and 
sated  with  the  undisguised  beauties  of  his  own  hareem, 
and  the  immodest  exposures  of  persons  by  which  they 
sought  to  stimulate  his  failing  appetites.  So  to  him  the 
fresh  pure  womanhood  of  this  young  American,  was  as 
provocative  as  a  new  dish  to  the  palled  palate  of  the 
epicure. 

For  the  vulture  eye  which  glared  down  through  that 
lattice  which  Edith  had  thought  a  window  —  but  which 
allowed  the  occupant  of  a  small  entresol  chamber  to  look 
down  into  her  apartment  unseen  —  was  that  of  none  other 
than  Abbas  Pasha  himself. 


344  ASKAROS    K ASS  IS. 

While  he  was  gloating  down  on  his  unconscioas  cap- 
tive, the  door  of  his  hiding-place  opened,  and  the  Cir- 
cassian woman  we  have  seen  below,  making  a  profound 
salutation,  stood  behind  him  in  the  narrow  space,  speak- 
ing no  word,  but  evidently  awaiting  his  pleasure. 

Abbas  turned  round  at  her  entrance  with  an  impatient 
sigh,  and  reluctantly  averted  his  eyes  from  the  fascinating 
vision  below  to  the  bold,  bad  face  of  "  the  Mother  of  the 
Hareem,"  for  such  the  woman  was  who  had  Edith  in 
charge,  and  who  now  came  for  further  orders  from  her 
master,  formerly  her  lover  and  her  slave  —  a  fact  which 
she  had  not  forgotten,  although  Abbas  had.  Abbas 
spoke  first. 

"  How  find  you  the  Ingleeze  woman,  O  Zuleika,  mother 
of  houris  ?  "  he  said.  ' '  Is  she  not  truly  a  pearl  of  price  ? 
a  very  white  lily  of  the  valley,  such  as  the  great  King 
Solomon  sang  of,  and  would  have  joyed  to  possess  in  his 
palace  built  by  the  genii?  Is  she  not,  indeed,  a  rose  ?  " 
And  he  glanced  down  again  into  the  chamber,  unwillingly 
reverting  his  eyes  to  the  painted  face  of  the  Circassian, 
who,  forgetting  her  faded  charms,  still  retained  the  des- 
perate hope  of  reclaiming  her  lord's  allegiance. 

"A  white  rose  then,"  responded  Zuleika,  sneeringly, 
"for  her  face  is  as  white  as  a  Santon's  tomb,  and  she 
has  neither  kohl  on  her  eyes  nor  henna  on  her  hair  or 
fingers,  and  her  figure  is  as  thin  as  a  half-starved  camel's 
after  the  pilgrimage  to  Mecca." 

But,  witnessing  the  gathering  cloud  of  wrath  on  Abbas's 
brow  at  her  sarcasms,  which  seemed  to  anger  him,  the 
Circassian  hastened  to  correct  her  blunder,  adding : 

"Yet  my  great  lord  is  right.  Under  all  this,  which 
to  ordinary  eyes  would  look  like  ugliness,  his  eagle 
glance  has  detected  the  rare  beauties  which  lurk  beneath. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS,  345 

For,  when  properly  bathed  and  anointed,  her  eyes  and 
eyebrows  darkened  with  kohl,  her  hair  and  finger-tips 
tinged  with  henna,  and  in  a  costume  which  will  display, 
not  hide  her  figure,  she  will  indeed  be  a  rose,  pleasant  to 
look  upon,  and  sweet  of  perfume  !  And  these  things  my 
lord's  most  faithful  servant,  Zuleika,  charges  herself  to 
attend  to  —  if  it  so  pleases  my  lord,  the  king  !  that  the 
foreign  woman  may  be  made  worthy  to  come  into  his 
sight,  and  fill  the  place  in  his  hareem  which  he  has  con- 
descended to  assign  her." 

Abbas  impatiently  nodded  his  head,  as  though  wishing 
her  to  be  gone  ;  but  the  woman  lingered,  as  though  wish- 
ing, yet  fearing  to  say  more. 

"What  is  it?  Speak!"  said  the  Viceroy.  "I  see 
thou  hast  something  to  say.  It  is  permitted." 

''May  it  please  my  great  lord!  the  Frank  woman 
speaks  neither  Turkish  nor  Arabic — nothing  but  Ingleeze, 
which  no  one  in  the  hareem  understands.  My  lord  had 
commanded  his  faithful  mother  of  the  hareem  to  prepare 
the  mind  of  the  Frank  woman  for  the  honor  which  is 
destined  for  her,  before  he  visited  her.  But  how  can  this 
be  done,  since  we  are  all  as  dumb  women  to  her?  " 

The  suggestion  seemed  to  strike  Abbas,  who  mused 
over  it  in  silence  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  replied : 

"There  is  good  sense  in  what  thou  sayest,  and  it  is 
necessary  the  Frank  woman  should  be  made  to  see  the 
honor  and  the  advantages  of  what  is  destined  for  her. 
Neither  can  I  myself  speak  to  her  without  an  interpreter, 
since,  the  Prophet  be  praised,  I  speak  no  language  of  the 
Infidel  !  Hearken  unto  me  !  Canst  thou  not  find  in 
Cairo  some  woman,  known  to  thee,  that  can  be  trusted, 
to  whom  we  may  confide  this  duty?  " 

"  Highness  !  to  hear  is  to  obey  !     Just  such  a  woman 


346  ASKAKOS    KASSIS. 

I  do  know ;  and  she  shall  be  brought  hither,  if  my  lord 
commands." 

"  Frank  or  native?  "  asked  Abbas. 

"  A  Frank  by  birth,  who  hath  lived  here  so  long  that 
she  is  one  of  us ;  as  I  know,  thoroughly  trustworthy,  and 
with  small  love  for  the  women  of  her  own  race,  among 
whom  she  is  an  outlaw." 

'  lPeki  ! ' '  said  Abbas  ;  ' '  thy  face  is  white  in  my  pres- 
ence !  It  is  well  thought  of!  Let  the  Frank  woman  re- 
pose herself;  and  do  thou  send  to  Cairo,  and  procure 
the  woman  thou  speakest  of.  When  she  arrives,  let  me 
see  and  speak  with  her,  before  she  sees  or  knows  of  our 
new  bird.  This  is  a  serious  matter ;  and  I  must  judge  if 
she  can  be  trusted.  I  have  spoken." 

The  Circassian  took  the  hint,  and  withdrew;  and 
Abbas,  after  another  long,  lingering  look,  turned  away, 
descended  the  steps  which  led  to  his  spying-place,  and 
passed  on  to  his  own  apartments,  in  the  other  wing  of  the 
palace. 

An  hour  later,  the  poor  girl  awoke  from  her  heavy 
slumber,  and  found  herself  still  alone.  At  first,  she  could 
scarcely  believe  all  that  had  passed  to  be  more  than  a 
feverish  dream  ;  but  the  painful  reality  soon  forced  itself 
upon  her  mind,  as  her  eye  fell  on  the  unfamiliar  objects  . 
surrounding  her. 

She  rose  up  and  passed  to  the  door.  It  was  locked. 
She  passed  into  the  bath-room.  There  was  no  egress 
thence.  She  searched  for  some  other  door  of  communi- 
cation, but  could  find  none.  She  then  went  to  the  win- 
dow, and  looked  out.  The  height  from  the  ground  was 
full  forty  feet,  and  below  it  was  a  space  enclosed  by  a 
high  wall. 

As  she  stood  gazing  out  upon  it,  she  felt  the  dove  flutter 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  347 

in  her  bosom,  and  suddenly  what  Askaros  had  suggested 
to  her,  as  to  its  uses  and  training,  flashed  upon  her 
memory,  and  inspired  her  with  hope. 

The  dove  should  be  her  messenger  to  her  husband ! 
Hastily  she  took  from  her  pocket  her  aunt's  letter  —  on 
which  she  had  traced  the  steamboat  for  Fatima  —  and 
with  the  gold  pencil,  which  hung  suspended  from  her 
neck,  she  traced  on  the  blank  page  these  words  : 

"I  am  a  prisoner  in  a  palace,  the  window  of  which 
overlooks  the  desert.  Safe  and  well  otherwise.  Come 
and  rescue  your  Edith." 

Addressing  this  small  square  note  to  "Askaros  Effendi, 
Cairo,"  she  took  out  the  dove,  which  caressed  her  with 
its  soft  bill,  carefully  tied  the  note  under  its  wing,  attach- 
ing it  to  the  blue  ribbon  about  its  neck,  and  kissing  it 
over  and  over  again,  while  her  tears  rained  down  on  its 
soft  wings,  launched  it  out  into  the  air. 

The  bird  seemed  unwilling  to  leave  her,  for  it  circled 
outside  of  the  window,  and  returned  to  perch  on  her 
shoulder  again. 

Twice  she  essayed  the  experiment,  with  the  same  result. 
The  third  time,  she  repulsed  it,  on  its  return,  and  threw 
it  roughly  out  again ;  and  the  bird  did  not  come  back, 
but  instead  of  darting  off  in  a  straight  line,  circled  up 
into  the  air  to  a  great  height,  before  proceeding  on  its 
way.  She  soon  had  reason  to  admire  the  instinct  which 
had  prompted  this  act,  and  its  previous  conduct  —  for 
she  soon  saw  that  a  hawk  had  espied  the  dove,  which  was 
high  up  in  the  air  above  him,  and  was  striving  to  rise  to 
its  level,  to  give  it  chase. 

A  few  minutes  of  intense  anxiety  for  Edith  ensued,  as 
the  hawk  strove  to  rise  higher  than  the  smaller  bird  ;  but 
ere  he  could  effect  this,  the  dove  darted  away  with  the 


348  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

\ 

swiftness  of  an  arrow,  leaving  the  baffled  pursuer  far  out 
of  range. 

"He  will  take  my  message  safely  !  "  said  the  glad 
girl,  whose  spirits  rose  with  this  success;  "and  Askaros 
will  be  sure  to  find  and  rescue  me  !  If  he  does  not  — 
and  there  is  need  ' '  —  she  whispered  to  herself,  while  a 
settled  resolve  shone  on  her  fair  young  face —  "although 
I  have  sent  away  one  of  my  friends,  the  other  still  is 
left !  "  And  she  touched  the  jewelled  hilt  of  the  dagger 
at  her  bosom  —  then  knelt  down  to  pray  again. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE   MAD-HOUSE   OF    THE    MAURISTAN. 

WHILE  these  events  were  transpiring  at  the  Abas- 
sieh,  equally  important  ones  were  happening  at 
Cairo.  When  Daoud-ben- Youssouf  sallied  forth  at  early 
morning,  he  bent  his  steps  to  the  Turkish  quarter,  and 
walked  rapidly  along  until  he  reached  one  of  the  largest 
and  handsomest  mosques  in  Cairo.  Both  in  its  archi- 
tecture and  its  exterior  it  was  one  of  the  finest  specimens 
of  the  old  Moorish  architecture  to  be  found  in  the  city. 

This  was  the  Mauristan,  which,  long  disused  as  a 
mosque,  had  been  converted  into  a  mad-house,  whither 
were  sent  those  unfortunates  who,  from  any  cause,  had 
lost  their  reason. 

In  the  East  the  victim  of  insanity  is  looked  upon  with 
a  reverential  feeling  unknown  in  other  countries. 

The  madman  is  regarded  not  as  one  laboring  under  a 
physical  disease,  but  as  resting  under  the  direct  visitation, 
as  well  as  under  the  special  protection  of  God. 

A  peculiar  sanctity  attaches  to  the  object  of  this  visita- 
tion ;  and  no  Eastern  man,  even  to  protect  himself  from 
bodily  injury,  would  harm  a  lunatic,  believing  he  would 
thereby  incur  the  direct  displeasure  of  Allah. 

Nations  which  boast  of  more  culture  and  a  higher 
3o  349 


35O  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

Civilization  may  scoff  at  this  superstition,  and  regard  the 
madman  as  they  do  any  other  human  being,  the  normal 
exercise  of  whose  functions  has  been  disturbed ;  yet  there 
is  something  very  striking  and  very  touching  in  it,  never- 
theless. Moreover,  it  cannot  be  denied  that  in  the  three 
great  attributes  of  Hope,  Faith,  and  Charity,  the  unculti- 
vated Oriental  immeasurably  excels  his  Western  brother ; 
although  the  first  may  often  darken  into  fatalism,  and  the 
second  into  fanaticism,  yet  the  third,  in  practice  as  in 
precept,  is  the  faith  of  Islam.  In  respect  for  old  age, 
and  for  all  who  have  been  afflicted  in  mind  or  body  by 
Providence,  the  West  can  learn  most  profitable  lessons 
from  the  East. 

Hence,  although  no  state  provision,  such  as  the  pub- 
lic hospitals  common  in  other  countries,  exists  in  the  East 
— private  charity  supplying  their  place — there  was  a  place 
assigned  at  Cairo  for  the  care  of  idiots,  madmen,  and  all 
others  deprived  of  reason,  who  were  taken  charge  of  and 
attended  to  at  public  expense. 

This  place,  as  before  stated,  was  the  Mauristan,  which 
Daoud  now  entered,  the  interior  of  which  was  supported 
by  a  range  of  strong  pillars,  to  which  were  chained  down 
many  human  beings,  howling  like  wild  beasts.  Others, 
whose  insanity  was  of  a  less  violent  type,  were  moping 
over  the  wide  space,  or  gathered  in  groups,  amusing 
themselves  as  they  best  might,  under  the  superintendence 
of  keepers  armed  with  heavy  clubs.  For  although  these 
unhappy  creatures  were  regarded  with  a  peculiar  kind 
of  reverence,  as  suffering  from  more  than  a  mere 
physical  malady,  yet,  by  a  strange  inconsistency,  their 
treatment  was  most  cruel  —  as  we  would  consider  brutal. 
This  arose  not  from  intention,  but  through  ignorance  of 
the  proper  sanitary  measures.  As  there  are  no  profes- 


ASK'AROS    KASSIS.  351 

sional  Hakeems,  (doctors,)  among  the  Mussulmans,  who 
believe  the  prayers  offered  up  at  some  Sheik  or  Santon's 
tomb  to  be  more  efficacious  than  medicine,  maniacs  were 
treated  in  the  rudest  and  simplest  manner.  The  violent 
ones  were  chained  to  pillars,  pinioned  in  such  a  way  as 
to  prevent  their  doing  any  injury  to  themselves  ;  the 
milder  cases  left  to  the  curative  power  of  nature  alone. 

Daoud,  whose  nerves  had  been  sorely  shaken  of  late 
by  illness  of  body  and  mind,  shuddered  as  he  entered 
this  horrible  place,  with  its  sights  and  sounds  of  woe  and 
pain,  as  vivid  an  image  of  the  dwellings  of  the  lost  as 
ever  was  conceived  by  the  gloomy  imagination  of  the 
great  Florentine  who  had  "been  in  hell;"  or  pictured 
forth  by  the  weird  genius  of  Dore,  which  has  given  shape 
and  form  to  those  ghastly  fancies  with  his  painful  pencil. 

Wolfish  eyes,  gleaming  with  a  baleful  fire  which 
seemed  not  of  this  world,  glared  upon  the  Syrian  from 
the  bundles  of  misery  huddled  together  at  the  base  of 
each  stone  pillar,  curdling  his  blood  with  the  demoniac 
malignity  of  their  expression,  more  like  the  eyes  of  lost 
souls  in  pain  than  those  of  living  men. 

The  shrieks  and  yells  of  the  more  furious  alternated 
with  the  gibbering  laughter  of  the  imbeciles :  echoes  from 
deserted  seats  of  reason,  untenanted  now  by  thought. 

No  women  were  among  them.  All  were  men ;  or, 
rather,  creatures  whose  outward  semblance  was  that  of 
men,  but  in  whom  the  noblest  part  of  humanity  was 
utterly  lost,  or  in  sad  eclipse ;  bodies  in  which  brutal 
instincts  had  survived  and  dethroned  reason — that  breath 
of  God  which  elevates  the  human  clay  above  all  the 
other  works  of  the  Omnipotent  Hand. 

As  the  Syrian,  inspired  by  a  loathing  repulsion,  which 
rose  almost  to  horror,  cautiously  picked  his  way  through 


352  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

this  mass  of  diseased  humanity,  he  compelled  himself  to 
peer  carefully  at  the  faces  and  forms  of  the  poor  wretches 
he  passed,  one  by  one,  as  though  seeking  some  person 
he  knew  might  be  found  among  them. 

At  length  he  stopped,  breathed  a  deep  sigh  of  mingled 
relief  and  pain,  like  one  whose  quest  was  over,  and 
scooped  down  over  a  form  which  lay  huddled  together, 
as  though  in  the  death-like  exhaustion  succeeding  a  vio- 
lent paroxysm.  The  form  was  now  relaxed  and  nerve- 
less—  the  extreme  of  lassitude  and  weakness  indicated  by 
the  position  of  the  limbs  and  features  of  the  face,  which 
was  that  of  a  young  and  handsome  man,  and  which, 
though  haggard  and  death-like,  did  not  wear  the  strained 
intensity  of  insanity. 

He  seemed  to  slumber ;  for  the  long-drawn,  laboring 
breath  came  with  the  regular  inhalations  of  sleep,  while 
his  chest  rose  and  fell  regularly,  though  slowly. 

"  It  is  he,"  said  Daoud,  "and  the  crisis  is  past.  That 
is  not  the  fitful  and  broken  sleep  of  a  disturbed  brain. 
The  prayers  of  his  guardian  angel  and  mine  have  saved 
him  not  only  from  death,  but  from  worse  than  death  — 
the  demoniacal  possession  men  call  madness,  and  priests 
the  visitation  of  God.  He  must  have  had  a  violent 
paroxysm  of  fever,  and  these  fools  mistook  his  ravings 
for  insanity,  and  chained  him  here,  like  a  wild  beast !  " 
And  he  glanced  down  with  loathing  at  the  ropes  which 
bound  the  sleeper's  limbs,  and  attached  him  to  the  strong 
pillar.  "I  am  no  hakeem,'"  he  resumed,  "but  I  am 
sure  that  is  never  the  face  of  a  madman.  When  he 
knows  all,  perchance  he  may  wish  he  had  lost  his  reason; 
for  those  tidings,  to  his  soft  nature,  will  be  almost  equal 
to  the  death-pang.  I  begin  to  repent  my  wrath  against 
him,  and  my  plots,  which,  though  they  brought  woe  to 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  353 

him  and  his,  brought  greater  pain  and  shame  to  myself. 
Is  it  too  late  to  repair  the  wrong  I  have  done  him,  or  at 
least  to  expiate  it?  No,  no  !  Have  not  our  priests  told 
me  that  Daoud,  the  great  king,  whose  name  I  bear, 
sinned  more  grievously  than  I  in  many  ways,  and  yet 
became  the  chosen  servant  of  the  Lord  after  his  re- 
pentance ? ' ' 

As  he  muttered  thus,  looking  down  pityingly  on  the 
still  form  beneath  him,  the  sleeper  stirred  uneasily  and 
muttered  eagerly  a  few  broken  words,  as  though  calling 
on  one  he  wished  to  see,  with  an  impatience  half  chiding, 
half  fond. 

The  Syrian's  brow  darkened  and  his  small  hand 
clinched  until  the  nails  were  driven  into  the  delicate 
flesh,  while  a  look  of  painful  suspicion  crept  into  his 
eyes,  the  pupils  of  which  contracted  and  dilated  like 
those  of  a  bird  of  prey.  He  stooped  down  over  the 
sleeping  man  and  placed  his  ear  close  to  the  lips,  which 
continued  to  repeat  the  impatient  call,  in  sounds  scarcely 
as  audible  as  a  whisper.  But  what  the  listener  heard  re- 
assured him,  and  his  face  lighted  up  as  though  a  heavy 
burden  had  been  lifted  from  his  brain  and  heart,  while 
an  expression  of  joy,  blended  with  contempt,  stole  over 
his  delicate  features. 

"  Ephraim  is  joined  unto  his  idols  ;  let  him  alone  !  " 
he  muttered,  with  that  familiar  everyday  use  of  Scriptural 
phrases  so  common  to  the  Eastern  Christians,  who,  like 
the  New  England  Puritans,  distort  the  text  of  Holy  Writ 
to  meanings  far  different  to  those  for  which  they  were  de- 
signed. 

"The  poor  fool  calls  on  the  name  of  his  wax-doll  ! 
not  on  that  which  I  permit  no  lips  to  invoke,  no  heart  to 
enshrine  but  mine  —  unfit  shrine  as  that  heart  may  be  for 
30*  X 


354  ASKAROS   K ASS  IS. 

such  a  saint !  It  is  well  for  him  and  well  for  me  that  it 
was  so,  for  Sheitan  was  busy  with  me  again  for  that  in- 
terval of  suspense. 

" Apage  Sathanas,  vade  retro/1'  and  he  crossed  him- 
self. "  I  spit  at  and  defy  thee  and  thy  works.  But  now 
to  business!  " 

Gliding  away  with  the  noiseless  swiftness  that  charac- 
terized all  his  movements,  Daoud  left  the  sleeping  man, 
happily  unconscious  of  the  great  peril  he  had  so  narrowly 
escaped  in  the  rambling  utterances  of  his  disturbed  slum- 
ber. For  had  that  other  name,  which  the  mad  jealousy 
of  Daoud  suspected,  been  uttered  by  those  fever-parched 
lips,  the  pitiless  Syrian  would  surely  have  abandoned  him 
to  his  fate,  which  a  protracted  residence  in  that  place 
would  have  made  death  or  madness,  ere  aid  from  other 
quarters  could  have  reached  him. 

As  it  was,  the  Syrian  sought  the  head  keeper  of  the 
Mauristan,  to  whom  the  young  Copt  was  well  known  by 
name  and  reputation,  explained  to  him  the  object  of  his 
visit  and  the  success  of  his  search,  and  obtained  from  him 
a  ready  permission  at  once  to  remove  him  to  his  own 
home.  This  was  speedily  effected,  and  shortly  after  sun- 
rise, Daoud,  in  charge  of  his  rescued  rival — as  he  once 
had  deemed  him — knew  not  whether  to  feel  most  pleased 
or  pained  on  receiving  the  tearful  thanks  of  the  glad  girl, 
on  his  delivery  to  her  at  his  own  house,  and  saw,  at  the 
same  time,  the  look  of  passionate  grief  and  devotion  she 
threw  upon  the  wreck  of  the  man,  so  brave,  brilliant,  and 
strong  but  yesterday  —  now  lying  collapsed  and  almost 
lifeless  before  her. 

He  had,  however,  no  excuse  to  linger  longer  in  the 
paradise  of  her  presence,  and  was  reluctantly  about  to 
withdraw,  after  having  protracted  the  interview  by  art- 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  355 

fully  prolonging  his  detail  of  the  search  and  discovery 
of  Askaros,  when,  to  his  surprise,  the  girl  requested  him 
to  remain,  and  accompanied  the  body  of  her  brother  — 
as  she  called  him  —  from  the  room. 

Impatiently  the  Syrian  awaited  her  return,  with  mixed 
emotions  of  hope  and  fear  agitating  his  breast,  as  to  her 
reason  for  detaining  him,  which  even  his  ready  wit  could 
not  supply.  His  suspense  was  short,  for  El  Warda  soon 
returned  and  put  into  his  hands  the  note  she  had  just  re- 
ceived through  the  dove,  but  a  short  time  before  his  ar- 
rival. He  read  the  note  carefully  over  several  times, 
then  turning  to  the  anxious  girl,  who  watched  his  face 
and  hung  upon  his  first  words  with  breathless  interest, 
said : 

"  I  begin  to  see  through  this  mystery,  I  think  !  The 
desert  view  from  the  window  confirms  my  first  suspicions. 
Send  back  the  dove  with  this  answer"  — and  he  suggested 
the  words  which  the  dove  bore  back — "and  I  will  labor 
to  find  your  sister,  even  as  I  have  found  your  brother. 
Even  should  he  be  better  when  he  awakes,  disturb  him 
not  with  these  matters,  for  he  will  still  be  too  weak  in 
mind  and  body  to  be  of  use,  and  it  will  only  harm  him. 
Should  he  inquire  for  his  wife,  tell  him  she  has  gone  to 
Alexandria  to  the  consul-general,  to  enlist  his  aid  to  find 
him,  and  will  soon  be  home.  Now  I  go  to  discover 
further  traces  of  this  villany.  Fear  not !  doubt  not ! 
hope  ever  !  and  trust  to  one  who  will  keep  his  pledge !  " 

Trusting  himself  to  say  no  more,  the  Syrian  left  the 
house  with  a  lighter  heart  than  he  had  worn  in  his  breast 
since  the  fatal  morning  he  had  passed  into  the  Viceroy's 
palace  exultant,  and  been  borne  out  bruised  and  broken 
in  body  and  hope. 

One  little  incident  had  escaped  even  his  vigilant  eye 


356  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

which  might  have  given  him  uneasiness ;  and  it  was  this : 
as  the  exhausted  form  of  Askaros  was  borne  away  from 
the  Mauristan,  a  man  glided  out  also,  and  followed  at  a 
distance,  until  the  garden  gate  closed  on  his  conductors, 
then  hurried  away  like  one  whose  work  was  done. 

Daoud  spent  that  day,  so  trying  to  poor  Edith  in  her 
captivity,  in  fruitlessly  seeking  a  clue  to  her  disappearance, 
in  which  he  was  not  so  fortunate  as  he  had  been  in  the 
case  of  her  husband.  The  facts  relating  to  the  latter 's 
having  been  found  at  Boulak,  and  carried  to  the  Mau- 
ristan, had  been  easily  gathered  from  the  gossips  of  the 
Cairene  coffee-houses,  which  afford  a  substitute  for  the 
evening  newspapers,  and  telegraphic  despatches  of  civil- 
ized communities,  and  probably  retail  as  accurate  infor- 
mation. Of  course  the  incident  only  was  stated,  as 
Askaros  had  not  been  recognized,  but  the  quick  appre- 
hension of  the  Syrian  supplied  that  omission. 

But  how  to  trace  the  missing  wife  ?  Here  the  gossips 
could  give  him  no  clue,  for  the  whole  matter  was  still 
shrouded  in  secrecy  and  mystery  outside  of  the  household 
of  Askaros.  True,  his  suspicion  fell  upon  Abbas ;  but 
how  could  he  verify  them?  how  proceed?  The  window 
overlooking  the  desert  made  him  suppose  the  Abassieh 
her  place  of  confinement;  yet  not  a  certainty.  His 
thoughts  fell  on  Nezle  Khanum,  as  the  sole  human  being 
that  could  unravel  the  mystery,  and  give  him  aid  were 
such  the  case.  For  the  consul-general  would  be  power- 
less here,  even  were  there  more  than  vague  suspicion  to 
proceed  upon !  The  sanctity  of  the  hareem,  inviolate  from 
step  of  man,  or  even  the  arm  of  law,  shielded  from  de- 
tection or  punishment  many  criminal  acts,  as  well  as 
afforded  a  sanctuary  for  all  encompassed  within  its  walls. 
No  man  can  enter  there.  True  !  but  a  woman  might. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  357 

What  wcman  could  he  find  who  would  dare  the  vengeance 
of  Abbas?  even  for  all  his  hoard — the  savings  of  his 
laborious  and  frugal  life  —  which  he  would  devote  to 
bribe  her.  He  racked  his  brain  in  vain  to  think  of  one, 
with  the  craft  and  courage  necessary  to  venture  into  the 
Abassieh,  and  ascertain  whether  the  captive  were  really 
there  ? 

Suddenly  the  thought  of  the  Frenchwoman  flashed 
upon  his  mind.  She  would  do  it,  for  the  darker  motive 
of  avarice,  which  he  could  tempt,  and  for  the  purer  one 
of  love  for  El  Warda.  He  would  go  and  find  her !  for 
he  suspected,  though  he  did  not  know,  the  darker  and 
more  disreputable  employments  which  she  occupied  her- 
self with,  in  connection  with  the  hareems,  to  which  she  had 
xree  entry. 

It  was  now  night,  and  he  hurried  to  her  house,  to  learn, 
to  his  chagrin,  that  she  had  gone  off  at  mid-day,  no  one 
knew  where,  not  to  be  back  possibly  for  many  days. 
This  was  a  very  great  disappointment ;  so  the  Syrian  un- 
consciously wandered  in  the  direction  of  the  house  where 
his  heart  was,  and  carefully  examined  if  any  traces  of 
any  kind  had  been  left  in  the  narrow  street  where  the 
violence  had  been  committed,  but  could  find  none. 

He  then  went  into  the  house,  and  made  old  Fatima 
repeat  her  story  over  and  over  again,  in  the  hope  of 
getting  some  clue ;  but  the  garrulous  old  woman  could 
give  him  none,  always  repeating  the  same  story  he  had 
heard  her  tell  before,  with  wearisome  iteration.  Neither 
Ferraj  nor  the  other  slave  had  ever  returned,  nor  any 
trace  of  them  been  found. 

Wearied  out  and  almost  hopeless,  he  returned  to  his 
own  squalid  home  —  now  seeming  to  him,  from  contrast 
with  his  dreams,  more  dismal  than  ever  —  and  throwing 


35**  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

himself  on  his  divan,  fell  into  the  heavy  slumber  of  utter 
exhaustion,  having  had  no  sleep  for  many  nights  previous, 
when  almost  mad  with  misery. 

He  did  not  awaken  until  the  sun  was  shining  into  the 
apartment  the  following  morning,  and  rubbed  his  eyes 
after  unclosing  them,  to  convince  himself  he  was  really 
awake,  for  there  stood  before  his  divan,  gravely  regard- 
ing him,  a  tall  black  eunuch,  the  richness  of  whose  dress 
indicated  he  was  attached  to  the  hareem  of  some  dis- 
tinguished personage. 

Though  in  face  and  figure  he  presented  the  same  pecu- 
liarities which  give  a  family  likeness  to  the  members  of 
this  unfortunate  class,  there  was  something  in  his  counte- 
nance which  recalled  to  Daoud  the  recollection  of  having 
seen  him  before  under  peculiar  circumstances,  when  or 
where  he  could  not  at  the  moment  bring  to  mind.  But 
it  flashed  back  on  his  memory  with  the  first  words  his 
visitor  spoke,  in  that  strange  squeaking  voice  peculiar  to 
his  class. 

As  Daoud  rose  up  from  his  divan  and  saluted  him,  the 
eunuch  gravely  returned  the  salutation,  and  said  : 

"The  noble  lady,  my  mistress,  whom  you  vowed  to 
repay  for  a  service  rendered  you  in  a  sore  strait,  has  sent 
me  to  say  she  now  claims  the  fulfilment  of  that  promise, 
and  would  see  you,  to  explain  her  wishes.  If  the  waters 
of  oblivion  have  not  washed  away  your  memory,  follow 
me,  and  I  will  conduct  you  to  her. ' ' 

"What  seeks  she  of  me?"  answered  Daoud,  whose 
astonishment  was  only  equalled  by  his  reluctance  to  obey 
such  a  summons  ;  and  over  whose  memory  there  flashed 
the  many  strange  stories  told  of  the  bad,  bold  woman 
who  commanded,  rather  than  invited  his  presence.  - 

"  The  great  lady  is  not  in  the  habit  of  confiding  aught 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  359 

but  her  will  to  her  servants,  far  less  of  having  her  orders 
questioned  where  she  honors  such  as  you  with  a  mes- 
sage !  "  said  the  eunuch,  haughtily;  adding,  after  a  mo- 
ment's pause:  "The  noble  lady  bade  me  remind  you, 
if  you  showed  any  reluctance  to  come,  that  only  half  of 
your  promised  reward  had  been  paid,  and  a  reminder  to 
your  debtor  would  insure  the  balance.  Have  you  already 
then  forgotten  whose  mercy  and  pity  saved  you  from 
open  shame,  and  from  being  the  gibe  and  scorn  of  every 
coffee-house  in  Cairo,  O  most  ungrateful  and  thankless 
of  infidels?" 

' '  There  is  truth  in  your  words  and  in  hers,  though 
they  are  not  over-courteous,"  replied  the  Syrian,  who 
had  now  recovered  his  constitutional  coolness  and  cour- 
age, and  felt  the  force  of  the  eunuch's  statement,  sting- 
ing as  it  was ;  and  who  knew,  furthermore,  he  could  not 
afford  to  convert  so  powerful  a  friend  into  an  enemy,  as 
his  refusal  to  obey  her  summons  might. 

"Fear  cannot  move  me,  but  gratitude  can  !  For  life 
or  death,  I  am  at  the  disposal  of  the  noble  lady  who  suc- 
cored me  in  my  sore  need  !  Lead  on,  I  follow,"  and 
he  pointed  to  the  door. 

The  eunuch  grinned  a  ghastly  smile,  which  exhibited 
his  black  teeth  through  his  skinny  and  livid  lips,  while 
his  dull  eye,  deep  sunken  in  its  orbit,  and  surrounded  by 
a  livid  ring,  glanced  over  the  spare  form  of  the  Syrian 
and  his  beardless  face,  as  though  in  wonder  at  this  last 
fantasy  of  his  mistress.  He  shrugged  his  shoulders, 
made  no  reply,  but  turned,  and  silently  led  the  way 
down-stairs,  followed  by  Daoud. 

At  the  door  stood  another  eunuch,  holding  two  horses, 
richly  caparisoned,  one  of  which  his  conductor  imme- 
diately bestrode,  signing  Daoud  to  mount  the  other, 


ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

which  he  had  no  sooner  done  than  both  took  the  road 
leading  to  Boulak  at  a  headlong  gallop,  as  though  their 
lives  depended  on  their  haste. 

No  words  were  exchanged  between  them  as  they  swept 
along,  the  early  travellers  on  the  road  making  way  for 
them,  as,  like  two  spectral  horsemen,  the  black  and  his 
pale  companion  rushed  into  sight  and  passed  out  of  it, 
under  a  cloud  of  dust,  almost  as  rapidly  as  they  had 
appeared. 

The  palm-trees  and  acacias  swept  past  them  in  their 
swift  race,  to  the  eyes  of  Daoud,  until  they  reached  the 
wall  of  the  palace  of  the  Princess  Nezle',  when,  suddenly 
curbing  his  panting  steed,  just  at  the  secret  gate  through 
which  Askaros  had  formerly  entered,  the  sable  guide 
dismounted,  and  tapped  three  times  on  the  wall.  The 
gate  swung  open,  and  two  slaves  appeared,  one  of  whom 
respectfully  assisted  the  eunuch  to  dismount,  the  other 
taking  the  bridle  of  Daoud 's  horse,  and  motioning  him 
to  do  the  same. 

He  saw,  to  his  horror,  that  these  slaves  were  mutes, 
and  began  to  comprehend  why  the  princess's  secrets 
were  so  well  kept,  surrounded  as  she  was  by  these  ever- 
silent  attendants. 

His  conductors  motioned  him  to  follow,  and  he  passed 
through  many  winding  avenues  to  a  small  postern  door, 
up  a  narrow  flight  of  steps,  and  found  himself  in  the 
same  chamber  already  described,  from  the  window  of 
which  Askaros  had  leaped  into  the  Nile.  On  the  divan 
sat  a  veiled  lady,  whom  he  at  once  guessed  to  be  the 
terrible  princess  herself.  The  eunuch  prostrated  him- 
self with  lowly  reverence,  rose,  and  withdrew  at  a  ges- 
ture from  the  lady,  without  uttering  a  word,  and  Daoud 
was  left  alone  with  her  he  dreaded,  yet  longed  to  see. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  361 

The  princess  broke  the  silence  with  a  slight  laugh  : 
"So!"  she  said,  "gratitude  yet  dwells  on  earth,  and 
thou  hast  remembered  past  favors.  Or  is  it  fear  brings 
thee  here  ?  I  fain  would  know  the  metal  of  which  thou 
art  made.  Bad  as  I  may  be,  I  am  not  so  cruel  as  men 
call  me  in  the  idle  babble  of  the  bath  and  coffee-house  ! 
If  dread  of  my  displeasure  alone  hath  brought  thee  here, 
and  thy  heart  fails  thee,  depart  in  peace ;  for  the  work 
to  be  done  requires  courage,  of  all  things,  and  thou 
lookest,  as  Abbas  said,  more  like  a  girl  than  a  boy.  I 
need  a  man,  and  a  resolute  one,  for  the  thing  for  which 
I  summoned  thee." 

"  Great  lady,"  said  the  Syrian,  "  mistrust  me  not  be- 
cause I  hide  not  the  heart  of  a  lamb  under  the  shaggy 
hide  of  a  lion ;  and  my  looks  are  girlish,  as  thou  sayest. 
The  deadliest  cobra  may  conceal  its  venom  under  the 
softest  skin.  Neither  do  me  the  injustice  of  believing 
that  fear  instead  of  gratitude  brought  me  here.  Well  do 
I  know  that,  once  within  these  walls,  my  liberty  and  life 
are  thine ;  that  I  might  disappear  forever,  like  a  bubble 
that  bursts  on  yonder  river,  and  no  man  know  my  fate. 
But  so  long  as  I  chose  to  remain  outside,  even  thy  hand 
could  not  reach  me,  and  Abbas,  in  his  capricious  tyranny, 
would  never  waste  a  thought  on  one  like  me.  Speak, 
then,  freely,  O  lady,  and  I,  a  free  man,  say  to  thee,  in 
the  language  of  thy  slaves,  '  To  hear  is  to  obey  ! '  : 

He  paused,  and,  stepping  forward,  knelt  down  grace- 
fully, and  kissed  the  hem  of  her  robe  with  a  reverential 
gratitude ;  then,  rising  up,  folded  his  arms  across  his 
chest,  and  awaited  her  pleasure. 

The  boldness  of  his  speech  did  not  seem  to  displease 
the  princess,  but,  on  the  contrary,  to  gratify  her. 

"Thou  art  a  saucy  boy,  indeed  !  "    she  said,    "and 


362  A  SKA  ROS    KA  S S I S. 

somewhat  lacking  in  reverence  to  speak  so  boldly ;  but 
I  forgive  thee,  and  in  token  thereof,  as  thou  art  scarcely 
yet  a  man,  will  let  thee  see  the  face  of  the  monster,  men 
have  told  thee  such  terrible  tales  about. ' '  And,  laugh- 
ing aloud,  she  threw  off  the  heavy  veil,  as  though  it  en- 
cumbered her,  and  disclosed  to  the  eager  gaze  of  the 
Syrian  the  small  regular  features  and  eagle  eyes  of  the 
Princess  Nezle. 

The  evident  surprise  and  admiration  of  the  young  man 
pleased  the  princess,  whose  womanly  vanity  craved  the 
tribute  now  more  than  in  her  earlier  years. 

"  So  you  see  Sheitan  is  not  so  black  as  they  paint  her, 
nor  am  I  a  ghoul  or  a  jinn,  but  only  a  woman  after  all. 
Thou  art  a  pretty  boy  !  and  there  was  a  time  when  I 
should  have  had  softer  talk  for  thine  ear  than  what  I  have 
to  tell  thee  now.  Though  thou  art  Youssouf,  I  am  not  the 
wife  of  Thotmes,  of  whom  the  old  story  is  told.  If  I 
speak  to  thee  of  love,  it  is  of  thine  for  another,  young 
like  thyself,  and  how  thou  mayest  win  her  yet  —  of  her 
whom  Abbas  promised  thee  !  Ha !  that  start,  that  change 
of  color  !  Thou  seest  I  read  thy  heart,  and  know  all !  " 
And  as  she  spoke,  as  though  enjoying  his  confusion,  she 
fixed  her  penetrating  eyes,  not  without  a  scornful  pity 
lurking  in  their  dark  orbs,  full  on  the  face  of  the  aston- 
ished and  discomfited  Syrian. 

"Furthermore  I  tell  thee,"  she  resumed,  "that  El 
Warda ' '  —  smiling  as  she  saw  him  start  at  the  mention 
of  that  name  —  "was  here  with  me  at  early  dawn.  She 
told  me  she  had  but  one  counsellor  -and  friend  in  Cairo, 
in  the  matters  of  life  and  death  on  which  she  prayed  my 
aid,  and  strange  to  say  of  so  modest  a  maiden,  thou  art 
that  man  !  ' '  And  again  those  searching  eyes  seemed  to 
read  his  very  soul. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  363 

"  Great  Khanum  !  "  said  the  Syrian,  to  whom  her  last 
words  seemed  to  have  given  new  life  and  energy,  "  if 
the  matter  for  which  I  have  been  summoned  here  be  that 
on  which  she  came  to  thee,  and  which  I  know,  brain  and 
body,  life  and  soul,  thou  mayest  command  of  Daoud- 
ben-Youssouf ! ' ' 

As  he  spoke  his  slight  form  seemed  to  dilate,  his  nos- 
trils expanded,  and  in  the  steady  light  of  his  eye  shone 
desperate  resolve. 

The  Khanum  looked  on  him  admiringly ;  her  unflinch- 
ing spirit  responded  to  his ;  she  felt  the  attraction  which 
draws  one  strong  nature  to  another,  and  it  echoed  in  her 
voice  as  again  she  spoke. 

' '  Rightly  did  Abbas  call  thee  a  tiger-cat,  but  wofully 
did  he  err  when  he  boasted  he  had  pared  thy  claws !  I 
take  thee  at  thy  word.  But  before  pledging  thyself  I 
warn  thee  it  is  no  slight  service,  no  child's  play  I  may 
have  to  ask  of  thee ;  but  to  do  and  dare  things,  the  very 
mention  of  which  may  cause  thy  flesh  to  creep,  and  thy 
blood  to  curdle  !  For  thou  art  very  young,"  she  added, 
musingly,  as  though  to  herself,  rather  than  to  her  com- 
panion. 

' '  Great  Khanum  !  I  see  thou  dost  still  distrust ;  but 
hear  me,  I  beseech  thee.  There  is  nothing,  however 
desperate,  I  am  not  willing  and  ready  to  do  or  dare,  if  it 
lead  to  her,  or  even  if  it  be  in  her  service.  Ay,  even 
though  it  lead  me  to  the  pit  of  Eblis ;  or  lower  still,  back 
into  the  palace  and  presence  of  the  man  from  whom  thou 
didst  rescue  me. ' ' 

"Is  it  indeed  so?"  said  the  princess  slowly,  her  eyes 
kindling  with  a  glow  which  seemed  the  reflection  of  his 
own.  "Thy  vaunt  shall  be  tested.  It  is  even  there  I 
would  send  thee  !  Danger  will  dog  thine  every  step,  and 


364  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

detection  be  certain  death,  under  slow  tortures,  to  which 
the  tender  mercies  dealt  thee  before  will  be  but  as  thistle- 
down in  comparison.  Wilt  thou  indeed  dare  this,  and 
for  the  reason  thou  hast  given  ? ' ' 

"  Great  Khanum  !  yes.     Try  me  !  " 

"I  will.  Return  to  Cairo.  Go  to  the  bath.  There 
cause  thy  head  to  be  shaven,  and  the  beard  to  be  removed 
from  thine  upper  lip.  Take  this  vial,  and  with  the  liquid 
it  contains  tinge  thy  skin,  that  thou  mayest  come  forth 
looking  less  like  a  fair  Georgian,  and  more  like  a  brown 
Circassian  than  at  present.  Should  I  need  thee,  at  sun- 
set I  will  send  for  thee.  If  not  to-day,  perhaps  to-mor- 
row. But  leave  not  thy  house  in  the  interval.  Possibly 
this  trial  may  even  yet  be  spared  both  thee  and  me. 
Inshallah.  But  we  shall  see.  Now  go." 

Clapping  her  hands  as  she  resumed  her  veil,  the  eunuch 
reappeared,  and  at  a  sign  from  the  Khanum  took  away 
the  young  man,  to  whom  she  vouchsafed  no  further  look 
or  parting  greeting. 

Let  alone,  her  brows  knitted  together,  and  her  small 
white  teeth  were  clinched  together,  while  her  dilating  eye 
glared,  as  though  some  deadly  passion,  hate  or  fear,  or 
both  commingled,  wrought  in  her  stormy  soul. 

The  spasm  seemed  but  momentary.  She  shook  it  off 
as  though  her  strong  will  had  met  and  mastered  the  diffi- 
culty or  the  danger,  whichever  it  might  be,  that  menaced 
her ;  and,  with  that  sudden  change  of  mood  habitual  to 
her  wayward  temper,  her  mind  suddenly  reverted  to  the 
late  interview,  and  she  laughed  sardonically. 

"  I  thought  Askaros  was  a  fool  about  his  doll !  "  she 
said; "but  surely  this  Syrian  boy  is  a  greater  one  with  his ; 
which  he  not  only  has  not  possession  of,  but  most  proba- 
bly will  never  get  at  all  !  Ho  !  ho  !  what  fools  all  these 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  365 

• 

men  are,  bearded  or  beardless,  young  or  old,  and,  oh  ! 
how  weary  I  am  of  all  of  them !  But  I  believe  this  boy 
will  keep  his  pledge.  Bakaloum  !  And  now  to  prepare 
for  my  interview  with  Abbas." 

Rising  up  from  her  divan,  the  princess  betook  herself 
to  her  haschisch,  to  drown  her  hopes  or  fears  in  the  sooth- 
ing influence  of  that  pleasing  poison,  ere  she  made  her 
perilous  and  decisive  visit  to  her  royal  kinsman. 

Critical  that  visit  was  evidently  intended  to  be,  for  as 
she  passed  into  her  inner  apartment  she  muttered  to  her- 
self through  her  set  teeth : 

"The  crisis  must  have  come,  and  the  danger  be  press- 
ing, when  she  sends  that  seal  to  me !  I  fear  me  the 
prophecy  of  the  stars  must  speedily  be  fulfilled,  for  this 
moon  hath  almost  waned." 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

A  STRANGE  FRIEND  IN  A  STRANGE  PLACE. 

r  I  "HE  first  day  of  her  imprisonment  in  her  gilded  cage 

JL  had  almost  passed,  and  the  shades  of  evening  were 
fast  falling,  blurring  the  outlines  of  the  desert  view,  as 
Edith  stood  at  the  casement,  and,  gazing  eagerly  out  in 
the  direction  her  winged  messenger  had  gone,  speculated 
on  the  incidents  of  his  reception  by  her  husband. 

She  was  so  busily  weaving  such  fancies  that  she  did  not 
hear  the  key  turn  in  her  door,  nor  the  shuffling  sound  of 
slipshod  feet  approaching,  until  they  were  close  beside 
her.  Then  she  turned  hastily,  and  saw  the  Circassian 
woman  standing  with  another  female  close  beside  her. 

Several  times  during  the  day,  black  female  slaves  had 
noiselessly  entered  the  room,  depositing  silver  salvers, 
containing  food,  fruits,  confectionery,  iced  sherbets  and 
colored  drinks  of  various  kinds,  then  vanished  as  noise- 
lessly as  they  came.  She  had  partaken  sparingly  of  the 
fruits  only,  fearing  to  try  cooked  dishes,  and  had  drank 
water  alone.  Save  these  blacks  she  had  had  no  other 
visitors. 

Now,  when  the  Circassian  woman  returned,  accom- 
panied by  another,  Edith  nerved  herself  for  some  new 

366 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  367 

trial,  but  she  was  disappointed,  for,  motioning  with  her 
hand  to  the  stranger,  as  though  in  introduction  of  her  to 
Edith,  the  mother  of  the  hareem  turned  again,  and  shuf- 
fled out  of  the  apartment.  This  stranger,  who  remained, 
was  also  in  the  Turkish  costume.  She  raised  the  veil 
which  she  wore,  and  disclosed  to  Edith  features  strangely 
familiar  to  her,  though  she  could  not  remember  where 
she  had  seen  her,  and  gazed  at  her  with  an  expression  in 
which  recognition  struggled  with  doubt.  Seeing  this,  the 
woman  addressed  her  in  the  French  language,  as  though 
it  were  her  native  tongue. 

"The  wife  of  Askaros  does  not  know  me,"  she  said, 
"but  well  do  I  remember  her,  and  much  it  grieves  me  to 
see  her  here.  Has  she  forgotten  the  day  when,  with  El 
Warda,  she  visited  the  hareem  of  the  Princess  Nezle, 
near  Boulak  ?  Has  she  forgotten  her  who  was  their  in- 
terpreter on  that  day  ?  ' ' 

Like  a  gleam  of  light  in  the  dark  flashed  back  upon 
Edith  the  recollection  of  the  woman  at  these  words.  She 
rushed  up  to  the  astonished  Frenchwoman,  ere  she  had 
finished  speaking,  kissed  her  fervently,  and  clung  to  her 
neck,  much  to  her  alarm  lest  any  one  should  spy  upon 
them.  The  other  hastily  pushed  her  back  with  the 
hurried  whisper : 

"On  thy  life  and  mine  !  treat  me  as  a  stranger,"  and 
resumed  her  former  attitude. 

But  tears  were  in  those  hard  eyes,  which  had  not  known 
moisture  for  years  before,  and  the  sardonic  mouth  twitched 
and  worked  in  the  convulsive  effort  to  suppress  a  sob,  at 
the  trusting  confidence  of  the  young  girl,  who  recognized 
her  as  a  friend  under  such  suspicious  circumstances.  The 
human  heart,  which  still  beat  —  indurated  as  it  was  with 
long  suffering,  and  stained  with  sin  —  in  that  withered 


368  ASA'AJtOS    KASSIS. 

breast,  leaped  up  to  meet  the  affection  of  this  pure  young 
soul,  with  a  mother's  yearning.  And  Edith's  impulse 
had  secured  her,  in  a  moment,  a  friend  for  life  or  death. 

When  the  woman  next  spoke  it  was  in  the  cold,  meas- 
ured tone  of  a  servant  addressing  a  mistress,  but  she  did 
not  repeat  her  lesson  as  given  her  by  her  employer, 
though  a  listener  who  did  not  understand  the  language  in 
which  she  spoke  would  have  deemed,  from  her  manner, 
that  she  was  doing  so. 

' '  Friend  of  El  Warda,  my  adopted  daughter,  what 
evil  star,  what  foul  treachery  has  brought  you  here?" 
she  said,  "and  how  long  have  you  rested  within  these 
polluted  walls  ?  Where  was  your  husband  when  you 
were  stolen  away?  for  I  see  that  you  are  a  prisoner  here, 
not  a  willing  guest." 

' '  Where  am  I  ?  What  palace  is  this  ?  Can  you  tell 
me?"  asked  Edith,  eagerly.  "Who  are  these  hateful 
people  to  whom  it  belongs,  especially  that  woman  who 
seems  its  mistress?  And  what  does  she  want  with  me?". 

"And  you  have  seen  no  one  but  her?"  asked  the 
woman  in  return,  not  replying  to  her  question.  "You 
do  not  know  into  whose  power  you  have  fallen  ?  Thank 
God  !  There  is  yet  time  —  it  is  not  too  late  to  save  you 
yet!" 

"No  —  no!"  cried  Edith  impatiently.  "Tell  me, 
for  mercy's  sake  —  for  all  this  mystery  is  maddening!  " 

"Then  listen,"  replied  the  Frenchwoman,  still  stand- 
ing as  motionless  as  ever;  "  and  make  no  start  when  I 
answer,  which  might  betray  us  both,  for  there  are  eyes 
behind  yonder  lattice,  which  you  see  not,  watching  us  — 
eyes  hard  to  deceive,  and  a  hand  swift  to  punish  what  he 
would  consider  treachery  in  me.  Are  you  able  to  stand 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  369 

the  test?     For  what  I  will  tell,  will  demand  all  your  for- 
titude, to  stand  without  blenching." 

"Say  on!  I  will  not  falter,  nor  betray  you,"  an- 
swered Edith,  faintly.  "  But  what  you  tell  me  makes  my 
heart  stand  still.  You  can  trust  me,  as  I  trust  you." 

The  woman  gazed  at  her  steadily  a  moment,  then  she 
replied : 

"Then  I  will  speak,  for  it  is  necessary  you  should 
know.  You  are  in  the  palace  and  in  the  power  of  Abbas 
Pasha  !  And  I  am  sent  to  prepare  you  for  the  honor  he 
intends  —  of  making  you  the  head  of  his  hareem.  Keep 
all  your  courage.  Remember  two  lives,  and  more  than 
life  to  you,  may  depend  upon  it." 

In  spite  of  every  effort  she  could  make  to  nerve  her- 
self against  the  shock  of  this  dreadful  news,  the  face  of 
Edith  grew  as  colorless,  and  the  features  as  rigid,  as  those 
of  the  dead.  She  gasped  for  breath,  and  a  suffocating 
sensation  seemed  to  stifle  her.  Though  her  dry  lips  moved, 
no  sound  came  from  them.  She  stretched  forth  her  arms 
wildly,  as  though  imploring  protection,  reeled  forward, 
and  would  have  fallen  to  the  floor,  had  not  the  strong 
arms  of  the  Frenchwoman  supported  her  fainting  form. 

"  A  bad  beginning  !  "  muttered  the  other,  impatiently. 
"I  hope  he  is  not  watching  us  up  there,  or  I  shall  have 
to  explain  this  —  he  is  so  suspicious.  I  will  go  and  see. 
Better  meet  danger  half-way  !  " 

And  depositing  her  lifeless  burden  on  the  divan,  she 
passed  up  the  narrow  stairway,  which  seemed  familiar  to 
her,  and  peered  eagerly  into  the  small  hiding-place.  It 
was  empty,  and  she  breathed  more  freely  as  she  ran  down 
again  to  resume  her  place  by  the  side  of  Edith,  who  still 
lay  motionless,  her  heavy  breathing  alone  denoting  her  a 
living  woman  —  not  a  livid  and  pallid  corpse. 

Y 


37O  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

Gradually  she  revived,  and  a  mother  could  not  have 
exhibited  a  more  tender  care  than  did  the  habitually 
callous  old  woman.  The  tender  spot  in  her  heart  seemed 
to  have  been  stricken,  as  miraculously  as  was  the  rock, 
from  which  the  living  waters  gushed,  when  stricken  by 
the  rod  of  Moses. 

Edith  turned  her  grateful  eyes  upon  her,  and  pressed 
her  hand  in  thanks,  as  she  assisted  her  to  rise ;  then  be- 
sought her  pardon  for  such  weakness,  promising  that  now 
the  first  shock  was  past,  she  should  see  no  repetition  of 
it.  Then  she  resumed  her  seat  upon  the  divan,  the 
woman  again  assuming  the  respectful  demeanor  of  a  ser- 
vant, at  the  proper  distance,  and  any  one  watching  them 
during  the  conversation  that  ensued  would  have  suspected 
nothing. 

She  obtained  from  Edith  all  she  knew  concerning  her 
abduction,  and  a  complete  narration  of  everything  that 
had  occurred  since  her  entering  the  palace.  Among  other 
things,  she  learned  the  despatch  of  the  carrier-dove,  which 
she  assured  Edith  would  be  certain  to  wing  its  way  direct 
to  the  house  of  Askaros;  and  she  did  not  discourage  the 
hope  of  the  fond  wife,  that  he  would  discover  her  prison, 
and  rescue  her,  by  the  aid  of  the  consul-general. 

But  the  woman  knew  at  that  time  how  vain  was  that 
hope ;  for  the  mysterious  disappearance  of  Askaros  had 
been  the  talk  of  the  Cairene  gossips  all  that  day,  having 
been  spread  over  the  coffee-shops  by  such  idlers  as  had 
learned  it  from  the  keeper  of  the  Hotel  d' Orient. 

But  she  also  knew  —  which  Edith  did  not  —  that  El 
Warda  had  again  taken  up  her  residence  at  the  house  of 
her  brother,  to  strive  and  penetrate  the  mystery  of  his 
disappearance ;  though  the  Frenchwoman  had  not  seen 
her,  having  only  just  received  a  message  from  her,  when 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  3/1 

the  imperative  mandate  of  the  Viceroy  hurried  her  off  to 
the  Abassieh. 

"  He  wants  to  see  you  this  evening,"  the  old  woman 
wound  up.  "  But  he  shall  not,  my  poor  child,  if  I  can 
prevent  it ;  and  I  think  I  can.  Time  is  everything  ;  for 
if  help  does  not  come  by  to-morrow,  we  can  then  see 
what  is  to  be  done,  to  get  you  out  of  this  vile  place.  You 
may  trust  me.  I  swear  to  you  by  the  soul  of  my  dead 
daughter !  — dead  many  years  ago,  before  her  mother  had 
become  the  miserable  wretch  she  now  is !  And  you 
looked  so  like  her  when  you  lay  there — just  as  she 
looked  before  they  hid  her  from  my  sight  forever!  — 
and  I  went  mad  first  and  desperately  wicked  afterward. 
Trust  me,  my  child  ;  and  when  this  cunning  brain  and 
these  wicked  strong  hands  have  freed  you,  call  me 
'  mother'  once  more,  as  you  did  just  now,  and  kiss  me 
once  again  !  Then  I  will  ask  again,  what  I  vainly  asked 
the  day  she  died  :  '  Lord,  let  thou  thy  servant  depart  in 
peace  !  '  His  servant !  What  profanity  in  me  to  use 
that. word  !  I  who  have  been  the  devil's  bond-slave  for 
so  many  wicked  and  weary  years  ! 

"But  I  must  not  now  think  of  these  things.  I  must 
keep  my  brain  clear,  to  cope  with  that  incarnate  devil 
who  now  has  you  in  his  keeping.  But  fear  not,  my 
child,  and  trust  me.  Now  I  will  go  report  to  my  gra- 
cious lord,"  she  added,  with  a  bitter  emphasis  on  the 
words,  "that  the  Frank  woman  is  too  ill  in  body  and 
mind  for  him  to  see  her ;  and  that  I  will  prepare  her  to 
listen  favorably  to  him  by  mid-day  to-morrow.  Then,  if 
absolutely  necessary,  I  can  make  you  really  ill  with  some 
herbs,  powerful  yet  not  poisonous." 

"Stay,  mother!"  said  Edith,  humoring  the  strange 
fancy  of  her  new-found  friend  and  ally.  "  I  have  not 


3/2  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

yet  shown  you  my  protection  in  a  last  resort ; ' '  and  she 
showed  the  hilt  of  the  dagger,  on  which  the  diamonds 
glittered  as  she  displayed  it. 

"Conceal  that  carefully.  It  may  be  useful  in  ex- 
tremity, though  not  for  the  use  you  meditate,"  the 
woman  answered ;  and  a  strange  gleam  came  into  her 
eyes  that  was  not  pleasant  to  see.  "Abbas  is  a  rank 
coward,  and  quails  before  any  danger  to  himself  in  per- 
son, even  if  menaced  by  a  woman.  And  stay  !  I  can 
anoint  its  point  with  a  poison  so  potent  that  the  slightest 
scratch  from  it  were  certain  death  !  Give  it  me,  and  you 
shall  have  it  back  ere  the  man  visits  you.  Better  use  it 
on  him  than  on  thyself,  and  rid  the  world  of  a  monster 
all  men  hate  and  all  women  fear.  But  his  days  will  not 
be  long  in  the  land,"  she  mumbled  on,  rather  to  herself 
than  to  her  listener,  "if  the  stars  have  not  lied  to  me. 
I  cast  his  horoscope  and  made  my  divination  two  nights 
since,  by  request  of  Nezle  Khanum,  who  loves  him  not 
over-much.  Danger  and  sudden  death  lurk  in  his  house. 
He  was  born  under  the  malignant  planet  Saturn,  and  is 
doomed  to  die  by  violence  ere  this  moon  wanes  !  Who 
knows? — who  knows?"  she  rambled  on;  while  Edith, 
not  knowing  how  strong  a  hold  superstition,  and  the 
practice  of  illicit  arts,  can  take  on  a  strong,  but  ill-regu- 
lated mind  like  that  of  the  woman  before  her,  listened 
to  her  wild  utterances,  and  deemed  her  utterly  mad. 

She  stubbornly  refused,  however,  to  give  up  the  dag- 
ger for  the  purpose  so  coolly  proclaimed ;  smoothing 
over  her  rejection  of  the  offer  with  words  of  grateful  ac- 
knowledgment for  the  feeling  that  prompted  it. 

The  Frenchwoman  did  not  press  the  matter ;  but  tell- 
ing Edith  to  remain  tranquil  until  her  return,  left  the 
room,  locking  the  door  behind  her.  A  suspicion  that 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  373 

she  had  acted  indiscreetly  in  reposing  such  implicit  con- 
fidence in  such  a  woman,  whose  character  and  life  she 
now  saw  had  been  far  blacker  than  the  Cairene  gossips 
or  the  simple-hearted  El  Warda  had  dreamed,  came  to 
disturb  the  mind  of  Edith,  as  soon  as  the  door  had 
closed.  But  she  reassured  herself  by  the  reflection,  that 
neither  the  woman  nor  Abbas  himself  could  outstrip  the 
flight  of  the  dove ;  and  after  all,  therein  lay  her  sole 
hope  of  rescue  from  without. 

And  the  woman  had  seemed  honest.  The  very  wild 
way  in  which  she  had  talked  was  proof  of  sincerity. 
Such  were  not  the  weapons  of  a  practised  deceiver ;  she 
could  not  but  put  faith  in  her.  Yes,  she  would  trust  her ; 
for  she  saw  that,  next  to  the  dove,  the  only  hope  of 
escape  from  the  perils  that  surrounded  her  lay  in  her 
alone. 

The  evening  darkened  into  night ;  the  stars  came  forth, 
one  by  one,  each  in  its  appointed  place  in  the  heavens. 
Up  rose  the  round  bright  moon,  shining  softly  and  sadly 
upon  the  desert  —  wasting  its  silvery  light  upon  the  bare 
brown  earth,  without  shrub  or  tree,  or  blade  of  grass,  to 
rejoice  in  its  beams.  The  howl  of  the  jackal  and  the 
hoot  of  the  owl  —  the  only  living  things  that  seemed  to 
inhabit  its  sandy  wastes  —  alone  broke  the  stillness  and 
silence  of  the  night,  which  seemed  to  sympathize  with 
the  aching  void  in  the  heart  of  the  lone  woman  —  a 
prisoner  in  that  palace  —  far  away  from  her  kindred,  in 
a  strange,  savage  land,  with  but  one  arm  to  lean  on,  one 
heart  to  trust  —  a  prey  to  all  the  wild  fancies  which  the 
time  and  place  and  situation  inspired. 

The  night  rolled  on,  and  still  the  Frenchwoman  re- 
turned not. 

Silent  and  obsequious  slaves  had  glided  into  the  cham- 
32 


3/4  ASKAROS    K ASS  IS. 

ber,  deposited  bread  and  drink,  and  noiselessly  retired, 
uttering  no  word,  like  the  goblin  attendants  in  some  en- 
chanted castle.  The  Circassian  woman  had  not  come 
again,  since  placing  her  in  charge  of  her  substitute. 

Edith  looked  restlessly  at  her  watch.  She  was  very 
weary,  but  her  excitement  was  too  great  for  even  the 
thought  of  sleep.  She  rose  and  looked  out  listlessly  into 
the  night.  As  she  gazed  out  over  the  desert,  a  dark 
object,  coming  rapidly  toward  her,  obscured  the  moon- 
light ;  and  she  saw  it  was  some  winged  night-wanderer, 
probably  a  bat  or  an  owl.  The  next  moment  her  own 
messenger-dove  had  nestled  down  upon  her  shoulder. 

Her  heart  bounded  high  with  hope ;  then  stood  still. 
She  snatched  eagerly  at  the  ribbon  which  bound  its 
neck,  and  saw  under  its  wing  either  her  own  note  or  its 
answer.  She  tore  it  eagerly  away,  opened  it,  and  saw 
by  the  light  of  the  moon  —  as  brilliant  as  that  of  day  — 
the  writing  was  neither  her  own  nor  her  husband's  ;  but 
a  few  lines  traced  in  a  small,  cramped  hand,  unknown 
to  her.  Dizzy  and  sick  with  a  vague  dread,  and  the 
pang  of  hope  deferred,  at  not  seeing  her  husband's 
writing,  as  she  had  expected,  she  ran  her  eyes  rapidly 
over  the  scroll.  It  was  in  French,  and  contained  only 
these  words :  — 

"The  clue  given  is  sufficient.  We  strongly  suspect 
where  you  are.  My  brother  is  from  home,  so  I  answer 
you.  Send  another  message  the  same  way,  with  all  you 
can  discover  to  aid  our  search.  Trust  in  God  and  Sitta 
Mariam.  Your  friends  will  save  you.  Your  own 

"WARD  A." 

Her  brother  not  at  home  ! 

"Searching  for  me,  poor  fellow!"  mused  Edith. 
"I  can  give  them  certain  information  now;  but  I  will 


ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS.  375 

wait  until  the  return  of  my  new  friend  first.  But  she  is 
a  fearful  woman  !  I  will  determine  whether  to  trust  her 
or  not,  about  my  dove's  return,  after  I  have  talked  with 
her  again." 

And  mindful  of  the  warning  that  eyes  were  on  her 
when  she  knew  it  not,  she  hastily  kissed  her  faithful  mes- 
senger, and  hid  him  again  in  her  bosom,  which  throbbed 
less  wildly  now  she  knew  her  friends  and  her  husband 
had  heard  from  her,  and  were  hopeful  of  rescuing  her. 

After  some  time  longer  the  Frenchwoman  glided  into 
the  room ;  and  the  first  glance  at  her  face  convinced 
Edith  that  she  was  ill  at  ease.  But  there  was  a  red  spot 
on  her  cheek,  and  a  gleam  in  her  eye,  that  indicated 
anger  as  well  as  apprehension. 

"The  brute  beast!"  she  said  ;"  how  he  tried  my  pa- 
tience !  I  could  not  come  to  you  before,  for  I  had  to 
watch  him,  and  find  what  new  devil's  dish  he  was  cook- 
ing with  Mahmoud  Bey  and  the  Kislar  Aga.  But  I  did 
discover  it  by  hiding  behind  his  old  mother's  divan, 
which  is  in  front  of  the  curtains.  The  old  woman  is  ill ; 
and  he  sat  there  while  he  conferred  with  the  Kislar  Aga, 
who  is  his. head  demon  !  I  could  not  get  away,  for  the 
beast  fell  asleep,  and  I  dared  not  stir.  Had  he  waked 
and  seen  me,  it  would  have  been  all  over  with  me,  and 
with  you,  too.  But  I  know  all  now.  More  plots  — more 
villany  !  Oh,  that  I  could  send  a  message  into  Cairo  ! 
Your  dove,  were  he  here  now,  could  save  more  lives  than 
one ;  for  I  cannot  leave  you,  and  there  is  no  one  in  this 
accursed  place  I  dare  trust.  Oh  !  for  the  dove  !  " 

"  Is  this  a  stratagem  to  find  if  my  messenger  has  re- 
turned?" thought  Edith. 

She   looked   hard   into  the  woman's  face,   on  which 


ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS 

strong  anxiety,  and,  she  thought,  sincerity  were  depicted. 
Her  resolve  was  taken. 

"Swear  to  me  by  your  daughter's  soul,"  she  said, 
"that  you  are  sincere,  and  I  may  aid  you." 

The  woman  looked  up  eagerly. 

"By  that  most  sacred  of  all  oaths  to  me,"  she  an- 
swered, "I  swear  it.  And  may  these  eyes  of  mine,  or 
my  disembodied  soul,  never  look  upon  my  lost  darling, 
if  in  life  and  unto  death  I  be  not  true  to  you  ! ' ' 

"Enough,"  answered  Edith.  "  I  believe  you.  Be- 
hold the  dove,  as  also  the  message  he  brought  back  to 
me." 

The  Frenchwoman  clutched  at  the  letter,  and  read  it 
eagerly  through. 

"  I  see  !  I  see  !"  she  cried.  "  I  understand  El  Warda, 
and  the  more  need  for  prompt  action.  Have  you  another 
piece  of  paper,  and  a  pen  ?  ' ' 

Edith  showed  the  fragment  of  her  letter  and  the  pencil. 

"That  will  do,"  said  the  other.  "Write  this:  'At 
the  Abassieh.  Lose  no  time.  Consul  Kibbeer  (Great 
Consul).  Askaros,  too,  in  peril.  Send  this  seal  to  Sitta 
Khanum  —  quick.  She  will  understand.'  ' 

As  she  finished,  the  Frenchwoman  took  a  piece  of 
black  ink  from  her  pocket,  stamped  it  with  her  signet- 
ring —  which  she  wore,  like  a  man,  on  the  forefinger  of 
her  right  hand  —  enclosed  it  "in  the  slip  of  paper,  and 
tied  it  under  the  dove's  wing.  Then,  taking  from  her 
pocket  a  small  box,  she  gave  the  bird  a  small  lump  of 
some  black  substance,  which  he  pecked  at  eagerly  and 
devoured.  The  effect  seemed  almost  magical.  Wearied 
as  he  had  appeared  the  moment  before,  with  dull  eye  and 
drooping  wing,  he  had  scarcely  swallowed  the  food  given 
him,  when  strength  and  spirit  seemed  thoroughly  restored. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  377 

Then  the  woman  leant  from  the  casement,  launched  the 
dove  into  the  air,  and  away  he  flew  into  the  night,  the 
bright  moonbeams  gleaming  on  his  white  wings,  until  he 
dwindled  into  a  speck  in  the  distance. 

"Now  !  "  she  cried,  fiercely ;  adding  in  a  hoarse  whis- 
per of  exultation  :  "  Eblis  guard  thine  own  !  for  I  have 
summoned  by  my  spell  a  far  worse  devil  than  any  of  thy 
favorite's  guardian  demons  !  I  will  counteract  and  turn 
aside  the  evil  he  meditates — if  not  —  perhaps — will  con- 
summate the  fate,  decreed  two  nights  since  by  the  stars 
which  lie  not.  Who  knows  ?  Who  knows  ? ' ' 

"What  mean  you?"  anxiously  asked  Edith,  whose 
faith  in  the  woman's  sanity  was  shaken  by  what  seemed 
her  wild  raving.  "  You  seem  to  have  forgotten  my  peril, 
and  your  promise  to  save  me  from  the  doom  worse  than 
death,  while  you  plot  and  plan  with  that  terrible  woman, 
of  whom  I  have  never  heard  aught  but  evil." 

The  rigid  lines  of  the  woman's  face  relaxed,  and  a 
gentler  expression  came  into  her  sad,  solemn  eyes. 

"  Trust  me  still,  O  child  —  living  image  of  my  dead 
darling!"  she  said.  "No  hair  of  thy  head  shall  be 
harmed.  Obey  me,  and  thou  shalt  be  safe.  But  there 
are  many  things  that  thou  hadst  best  not  know.  Trust 
me ;  and  now  sleep  while  I  watch  by  thee ;  and  if  any 
creeping  reptile  crawl  near  thee,  it  will  come  but  to  its 
death  !  Ay,  though  it  be  Abbas  Pasha  himself. ' '  And 
she  exhibited  to  Edith  a  long,  keen  dagger,  which  she 
wore  concealed  in  her  bosom. 

"  But  he  will  not  trouble  thee,  for  the  cup  of  coffee  his 
mother  made,  and  I  handed  him  in  the  hareem,  an  hour 
since,  will  cause  him  to  sleep  till  late  to-morrow.  Hum  ! 
A  cautious  man  is  Abbas,"  she  muttered  on;  "but  what 
his  precautions  are  worth  against  a  woman's  wit  he  may 
32* 


378  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

soon  learn  to  his  cost.  But  sleep  now,  my  child,  for  to- 
morrow you  will  need  all  your  strength  of  body  and  of 
mind  ! ' '  And  again  she  muttered,  as  if  to  herself :  ' ( Let 
me  but  tide  over  until  to-morrow's  sunset,  and  all  is  safe  ! 
If  not,  Sheitan  only  can  tell  what  may  happen.  But 
sleep  now,  and  thy  mother  will  watch  over  thee,  my 
child.  Sleep." 

She  passed  her  hands  several  times  quickly  over  the 
brow  of  Edith,  who  felt  a  sharp  pain  dart  through  her 
brain,  and  sparks  glitter  before  her  eyes  as  she  sunk  into 
a  sound,  mesmeric  slumber. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

THE    LOST    MESSENGER. 

THE  Frenchwoman  kept  her  word,  and  Edith, 
thanks  to  her,  received  no  visit  from  Abbas  during 
the  day  succeeding  the  second  mission  of  the  dove. 
She  was  told  to  feign  illness,  which  she  did,  lying  on  the 
divan  so  that  the  Viceroy,  from  his  spying-place,  might 
see  her  when  brought  by  the  Frenchwoman,  who,  by 
cosmetics  and  other  means,  had  given  a  deadly  pallor 
to  her  cheeks,  and  every  appearance  of  desperate  illness. 
So  Abbas,  though  he  growled  at  the  delay  to  which  he 
was  subjected  in  having  his  interview  with  the  captive, 
had  to  admit  its  necessity. 

It  was  with  delight  Edith  heard  later  that  he  had  gone 
out  to  drive  ;  for  it  left  her  perfectly  free  from  espionage, 
and  she  stood  at  the  window,  watching  for  her  dove's 
return  with  mingled  impatience  and  hope.  She  saw  the 
carriage  and  cortege  of  the  Viceroy  disappear  on  the 
dusty  road,  which  she  knew,  by  the  direction  of  her 
dove's  flight,  led  to  Cairo.  Along  the  same  road  she 
also  saw  come  riding  on  their  fleet  dromedaries,  two 
Bedouins  of  the  desert,  their  long  guns  slung  over  their 
shoulders,  and  their  white  bournous  fluttering  in  the 
wind,  as  their  gaunt,  ungainly  animals  jerked  along  with 

379 


380  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

the  swift  but  peculiar  motion  produced  by  the  movement 
of  both  legs  on  the  same  side  in  advance  at  once. 

When  the  Bedouins  approached  the  palace  they  re- 
laxed their  speed,  and  finally  stopped  for  a  short  rest,  to 
eat  and  smoke,  before  resuming  their  journey.  So  near 
were  they,  and  so  still  was  the  air,  that  Edith  could  dis- 
tinctly hear  the  guttural  sound  of  their  voices.  She  was 
watching  their  movements  with  the  interest  of  an  unoc- 
cupied person  with  nothing  to  amuse  her,  when  her  at- 
tention was  attracted  by  seeing  them  both  rise  suddenly, 
unsling  their  long  guns,  and  point  to  something  that 
their  keen  eyes  distinguished  afar  off,  but  which  her  un- 
practised vision  could  not  see.  Straining  her  eyes  in  the 
same  direction,  however,  she  soon  saw  what  appeared 
first  a  speck,  then  a  dark  object,  gradually  growing  into 
shape  and  distinctness,  as  a  bird  swiftly  winged  its  way 
straight  toward  the  palace.  She  felt  it  was  her  dove, 
and  flying  so  low  as  to  be  in  easy  range  of  the  unerring 
marksmen,  who  had  seen  and  awaited  its  coming.  A 
sick  feeling  crept  into  her  heart  at  what  seemed  almost  a 
fatality  against  her,  mingled  with  affection  for  the  faithful 
messenger  that  had  nestled  in  her  bosom,  and  was  now 
her  sole  connecting  link  with  the  world  beyond  her 
prison. 

Nearer  came  the  bird ;  and  watching  still,  with  their 
bronze  faces  turned  in  that  direction,  their  long  guns 
ready,  the  flint  hammers  cocked,  stood  the  expectant 
Bedouins. 

Nearer  still  came  the  dove,  as  if  to  certain  death  ; 
watching,  as  it  seemed,  the  sky  above  it,  not  the  earth 
beneath,  for  danger.  The  long-range  guns  of  the 
Bedouins  were  already  raised,  when  one  of  them,  sign- 
ing courteously  to  the  other,  resumed  his  seat  and  laid 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  381 

down  his  gun,  as  though  leaving  so  small  a  game  to  his 
companion. 

Edith  breathed  freer  —  there  was  one  chance  less 
against  her  bird  —  one  was  more  apt  to  miss  than  two ; 
so  she  watched  and  waited.  The  Bedouin  had  already 
raised  his  gun  to  his  shoulder,  his  eye  glancing  along  the 
barrel,  when  suddenly  the  bird  wheeled  back  instead  of 
darting  forward ;  and,  with  a  grunt  of  surprise,  he  low- 
ered his  weapon.  Both  he  and  Edith  soon  saw  the 
reason.  A  desert-hawk  suddenly  sailed  from  one  of  the 
pinnacles  of  the  palace,  where  he  had  been  watching 
for  prey,  and  now  pursued  the  bird  he  had  sought  to 
intercept. 

Up  into  the  air  again,  in  wide  circles,  narrowing  as 
they  rose,  mounted  pursuer  and  pursued,  until  their  flight 
brought  them  again  just  over  the  heads  of  the  children 
of  the  desert,  who  watched  the  struggle  with  the  same 
intentness,  if  not  the  same  interest,  as  Edith. 

The  dove  shot  downward  at  last ;  and,  as  he  did  so, 
the  hawk,  from  high  in  air,  swooped  straight  down  upon 
it.  As  he  did  this,  Edith  saw  the  Bedouin,  who  was  still 
standing,  raise  his  gun  suddenly  to  his  shoulder.  Down 
came  the  hawk  toward  the  dove,  swift  and  straight  as  an 
arrow;  but  the  gun  flashed,  his  torn  plumes  floated  on 
the  air,  and  Edith  saw  with  joy  that  he  was  the  mark  at 
which  the  man  had  aimed  with  skill  too  deadly  to  err  ! 

But  she  saw,  too,  with  a  sharp  pang,  that  the  interven- 
tion had  come  too  late  to  save  the  thing  she  loved,  and 
which  bore  beneath  its  wing  tidings  of  life  or  death  to 
her,  which  now  she  would  never  see.  For  though  sorely 
wounded,  the  rapacious  instinct  of  the  bird  of  prey, 
coupled  with  the  impulsion  of  his  downward  flight,  drove 
him  headlong  against  his  cowering  quarry.  With  a 


382  ASKAROS    K ASS  IS. 

shudder  she  saw  the  cruel  beak  and  talons  strike  her 
favorite  —  saw  victor  and  victim  dash  heavily  upon  the 
sand  together  ! 

The  Bedouin  rushed  to  the  spot  where  the  birds  had 
fallen,  and  stooped  over  them.  She  saw  him  pick  up 
the  hawk ;  and  then,  to  her  amazement,  the  dove  feebly 
fluttered  from  the  ground,  and  with  wavering  flight  and 
unsteady  wing,  slowly  struggled  upward.  Neither  of  the 
Bedouins  made  any  motion  to  arrest  its  flight,  but  left  it 
to  its  fate,  as  though  it  had  earned  a  reprieve  from  them, 
by  its  recent  escape. 

Edith  watched  the  unsteady  flight  of  her  pet  with  beat- 
ing heart  and  bated  breath.  She  feared  it  could  never 
rise  to  the  height  of  her  window ;  and,  leaning  far  out, 
caught  it  as  it  came,  and  smothered  it  with  kisses,  as 
though  it  had  been  a  human  friend.  The  dove,  whose 
back  and  breast  were  dabbled  with  blood,  and  whose 
dim  eye  and  laboring  breath  indicated  failing  strength, 
feebly  pecked  at  the  loved  hand  which  caressed  it ;  then 
a  shudder  shook  its  delicate  frame,  the  eyes  closed,  the 
limbs  stiffened,  and  Edith  held  in  her  hand  a  dead, 
instead  of  a  living,  friend.  Faithful  until  the  last,  the 
bird  had  exerted  the  last  flagging  energies  of  life  to  fulfil 
its  mission  —  had  done  that  —  and  died  ! 

As  Edith,  forgetting  for  a  moment,  in  her  grief  for  this 
faithful  friend,  to  secure  the  letter  it  bore,  bent  over  it, 
she  heard  a  step  behind  her.  Turning,  her  tearful  eyes, 
she  saw  the  Frenchwoman,  who,  without  ceremony, 
snatched  at  the  ribbon,  which  she  tore  from  the  dead 
bird's  neck,  and  handing  a  note  to  Edith,  said,  im- 
patiently : 

"This  is  no  time  for  weeping  over  dead  doves! 
Death  or  deliverance  may  be  in  that  answer  ! ' ' 


ASKAROS    KASSIS  383 

Recalled  to  herself  by  the  harsh  truth  of  these  words, 
Edith  read  the  answer,  which  she  could  not  comprehend; 
but  it  seemed  to  satisfy  her  companion,  who  smiled  grimly 
and  said  aloud,  but  as  though  to  herself: 

"I  thought  that  would  bring  her  !  We  must  decide 
when  she  comes  — for  I  do  not  see  the  way  clearly." 

Then  she  sunk  into  musing,  and  Edith  was  made  too 
happy  at  hearing  from  her  husband  to  heed  her  much. 
At  length  the  old  woman  said  : 

"Listen !  we  have  gained  a  day,  and  your  messenger's 
loss  matters  little  now.  She  I  sent  for  comes,  and  we 
can  get  no  other  help  outside.  If  she  will,  she  can  save 
you,  and  I  think  she  will.  Now  let  me  put  away  the  body 
of  that  bird,  lest  its  presence  here  cause  suspicion." 

Although  unwilling  to  part  with  the  body  of  her  favor- 
ite, Edith  saw  the  force  of  these  suggestions,  and  with  a 
sad  heart  and  many  tears,  kissing  again  and  again  the 
dead  beak  of  the  unconscious  thing,  she  surrendered  it 
to  the  woman's  keeping. 

A  few  hours  later,  while  again  gazing  from  the  window, 
she  saw  the  cortege  of  the  Viceroy  returning  up  the  dusty 
road,  then  heard  the  noise  of  his  arrival  in  the  court 
below,  and  felt  that  her  trials  —  suspended  for  a  few  brief 
hours  —  were  now  again  actively  to  recommence.  Soon 
after  the  Frenchwoman  returned  in  an  excited  manner. 

"What  devil's  news  can  he  have  heard  in  Cairo?" 
she  said,  more  to  herself  than  to  Edith;  "for  he  is  in 
high  good  humor.  She  must  find  out  when  she  comes. 
It  means  mischief ! ' ' 

Another  hour  passed,  and  Edith,  gazing  listlessly 
toward  the  Cairene  road,  saw  clouds  of  dust  arising 
from  it,  as  if  a  carriage  were  driven  along  at  a  furious 
pace.  A  moment  after  the  vehicle  emerged  from  it,  and 


384  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

she  knew  it  must  contain  a  woman,  for  it  was  accom- 
panied by  a  guard  of  black  eunuchs,  as  well  as  a  troop 
of  cavalry  —  the  guard  of  some  royal  personage.  On  it 
sped  toward  the  palace,  which  it  entered  at  the  same 
headlong  rate  that  it  had  come. 

The  Frenchwoman,  peering  over  her  shoulder,  chuck- 
led joyously. 

"It  is  she!  It  is  she  !  I  must  go  to  the  mother's 
hareem  to  watch  my  chance  to  speak  to  her.  Rest  tran- 
quil, my  child.  He  dare  not  disturb  you  while  she  is 
here!" 

"But  who  is  she?"  asked  Edith,  curiously. 

"My  mistress,  and  your  safety!"  was  the  sole  re- 
sponse ;  and  the  woman  left  the  room,  locking  the  door 
behind  her,  and  left  Edith  alone,  a  prey  to  her  own  sad 
thoughts. 

And  there  we,  too,  must  leave  her  for  the  time. 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

"  A    LITTLE    MORE   THAN    KIN    AND    LESS    THAN    KIND." 

AS  the  Frenchwoman  reported,  Abbas  had  returned 
from  Cairo  in  high  good  humor,  and  very  much 
exhilarated  by  something  he  had  seen  or  heard  during  his 
visit. 

He  was  sitting  in  his  mother's  apartment  taking  his 
mid-day  repast  —  prepared  as  usual  by  her  hand  —  and 
chatting  to  her  gayly,  when  the  Princess  Nezle'  was  an- 
nounced. The  smile  left  the  lips  of  the  Viceroy,  and 
his  gayety  seemed  suddenly  dissipated  at  the  mere  men- 
tion of  that  name,  which  seemed  to  jar  upon  his  nerves. 

The  next  moment  the  princess  swept  into  the  room, 
and  Abbas,  as  best  he  might,  endeavored  to  smooth  his 
clouded  brow,  and  resume  his  interrupted  flow  of  speech 
and  spirits.  The  princess  seemed  to  be  in  the  most  ex- 
uberant good  humor,  laughing,  chatting  and  making  her- 
self so  agreeable  to  the  mother  and  son,  whom  she 
entertained  by  racy  recountals  of  Cairene  and  Stamboul 
scandals,  that  the  moody  brow  of  Abbas  relaxed,  and 
his  good  humor  unconsciously  returned.  As  Nezle  de- 
clared her  intention  of  dining  there,  the  elder  lady  pled 
fatigue  at  last,  and  asked  to  be  allowed  her  usual  siesta. 
This,  of  course,  was  granted,  Nczle'  declaring  she  would 
33  Z  385 


386  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

take  hers  also,  after  having  had  five  minutes'  more  talk 
with  her  kinsman,  whom  she  had  not  seen  for  so  long  a 
time;  and  the  mother,  fondly  kissing  the  son's  brow,re- 
tired  to  her  repose. 

No  sooner  had  she  left  the  room  than  a  change  came 
over  the  countenances  of  both  Abbas  and  Nezle,  each  of 
them  seeming  like  a  wary  athlete,  who  nerved  himself  for 
a  struggle  with  a  worthy  antagonist.  Abbas  spoke  first. 

"  To  what  do  I  owe  the  honor  of  this  visit,  Khanum?  " 
he  said.  "For  well  I  know  thou  hast  not  come  here  to 
talk  gossip  only,  or  to  enjoy  my  mother's  society,  or 
mine,  agreeable  as  that  may  be.  Speak  frankly,  then, 
for  between  friends,  such  as  we  are,  it  saves  time  and 
misapprehension. ' ' 

"  Thy  sagacity  is  not  at  fault,  Highness,"  Nezle  an- 
swered, calmly.  "I  have  much  to  say,  which  it  befits 
thee  to  listen  to  with  an  attentive  ear.  Truth  seldom 
reaches  crowned  heads.  Few  can,  and  fewer  dare  tell  it 
when  unpalatable." 

"  Then  thine  is  disagreeable?  "  said  Abbas.  "  Speak 
on ;  I  thank  thee  for  the  warning,  and  promise  to  be 
patient,  for  thou  hast  ever  been  a  good  friend  to  me. 
To  thee  I  owe  my  throne,  and  through  thy  influence  at 
Stamboul  I  hope  to  secure  the  succession  of  my  son,  El 
Hami.  We  cannot  quarrel." 

"Firstly,  then,  as  to  what  concerns  thyself,"  said 
Nezle.  "  The  affair  of  Askaros  is  a  bad  one  from  begin- 
ning to  end,  and  may  do  thee  harm  both  in  Egypt  and  at 
Stamboul,  as  well  as  injure  the  succession  of  thy  son. 
The  consul-general  should  be  conciliated,  not  made  an 
enemy  by  this  new  breach  of  faith  I  learned  just  before 
reaching  Cairo." 

"  Thou  hast  heard,  then^  that  I  have  again  put  him  in 


ASh'AKOS    A'ASSfS.  387 

safe-keeping,"  said  Abbas,  surprised.  "  Well,  it  is  true. 
But  thou  dost  not  know  that  his  protector  has  gone,  and 
been  replaced  by  that  old  dotard,  his  deputy,  who  is  as 
a  nose  of  wax  between  my  fingers.  So  fear  not  on  that 
account.  I  shall  have  no  trouble,  for  Askaros  hath  only 
disappeared;  no  one  can  track  him  this  time,  for  the  ac- 
cursed Nubian,  who  proved  the  abduction  before,  has 
been  also  imprisoned  for  some  time  in  the  citadel.  He 
was  hurt  some  time  since  in  an  affray. ' ' 

"Yes,  I  know,"  answered  Nezle,  carelessly.  "  In  the 
affray  in  which  the  wife  was  carried  off.  Come,  High- 
ness, let  us  be  frank  !  Thou  mayest  deceive  others,  but 
not  Nezle  Khanum." 

"I  believe  Sheitan  himself  could  not!"  growled 
Abbas  ;  but  he  responded  with  a  smile  :  "I  believe  you 
do  know  most  things ;  but  this  is  a  guess,  and  a  bad  one 
too.  I  know  nothing  of  that  matter ;  however  the 
tongues  of  Cairene  gossips  may  malign  their  lord  and 
master. ' ' 

"Then,  Highness,"  answered  Nezle',  with  almost 
mocking  quiet,  "I  must  ask  the  immediate  punishment 
of  one  of  thy  people,  who  hath  not  only  had  the  auda- 
city to  abduct  her,  but  to  secrete  her  in  this  very  palace ! 
Nay,"  she  added,  stopping  him  by  a  gesture,  "  this  I  can 
prove  to  your  Highness." 

Abbas  stared  at  her  in  blank  amazement,  and  only  said, 
shortly:  "Produce  the  proof." 

"  Certaialy.  Behold  it  in  her  own  handwriting,  sent 
me  by  a  carrier-dove  she  had  with  her  when  stolen  away. 
The  poor  child  knows  me,  and  -in  her  distress  flattered 
me  so  far  as  to  believe  that  I  was  still  human,  and  might 
help  her." 

And  so  saying,  narrowly  watching  the  changing  coun- 


388  A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS. 

tenance  of  Abbas  as  she  did  so,  Nezle  handed  Abbas  the 
slip  of  paper  bearing  the  words,  "  I  am  a  prisoner  at  the 
Abassieh."  The  rest  was  torn  away. 

' '  Where  is  the  rest  of  the  note  thou  hast  torn  away  ? ' ' 
growled  Abbas,  as  his  brow  grew  black;  "and  how 
canst  thou,  or  I,  know  that  this  is  written  by  the  wife  of 
the  dog  Askaros  !  ' ' 

"  Highness,  thou  must  ask  the  dove  for  the  rest  of  the 
paper  since  that  is  all  he  brought  me.  The  note  is  hers, 
I  know ;  for  the  dove  and  the  handwriting  both  are  well 
known  to  me.  So  thou  seest  it  must  be  one  of  thy  high 
officials,  who  hath  committed  this  outrage  upon  her  and 
upon  thee." 

"A  truce  to  idle  babble!"  cried  Abbas,  fiercely. 
"Thou  hast  my  secret;  for  Sheitan  keeps  none  from 
thee,  it  seems  !  What  is  the  woman  to  thee  ?  that  thou 
shouldst  quarrel  with  thy  best  and  almost  thine  only 
friend,  about  her,  or  her  miserable  husband!  Ask  any 
other  grace  in  the  power  of  Abbas  Pasha  to  bestow,  and 
it  shall  be  fully  granted  thee.  Even  to  my  mother  I 
would  not  grant  this  !  I  need  both  the  man  and  the 
woman,  and  both  will  I  keep  !  Ay,  even  though  El 
Kami  should  never  sit  upon  my  throne,  and  though  Shei- 
tan himself  should  claim  me  the  moment  my  love  and 
my  revenge  were  both  gratified  together  ! 

"  Urge  me  no  more  !  "  he  added,  savagely,  as  he  saw 
the  princess  was  about  to  speak ;  and  his  brow  grew  black 
as  night,  and  his  face  purple  with  passion.  "If  thou 
hast  removed  one  Viceroy  from  the  throne  of  Egypt,  in 
the  person  of  that  drivelling  old  dotard  men  called  '  the 
great '  — thy  father  !  — know  that  Abbas  knows  thee  too 
well  to  take  any  draught  from  thy  hand,  or  to  trust  him- 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  389 

self  in  the  power  of  one  —  woman  in  form,  but  afreet  in 
soul!" 

As  Abbas  spoke  these  words  in  the  frenzy  of  a  fury 
which  made  him  forget  his  habitual  fear  of  the  woman 
before  him,  in  the  hate  raised  by  her  attempt  to  thwart  his 
avarice  and  his  lust  —  the  two  ruling  passions  of  his  na- 
ture —  his  face  was  as  the  face  of  a  fiend. 

But  the  blood  of  Mehemet  Ali  —  which  flowed  more 
purely  through  the  veins  of  the  woman  than  of  the  man 
—  was  insensible  to  fear.  The  wild-beast  rage  of  Abbas 
excited  only  the  withering  contempt  of  Nezle,  though  her 
cheek  grew  lividly  pale,  and  her  eye  flashed,  at  the  in- 
sulting reference  to  her  father,  and  to  her  own  imputed, 
though  involuntary  crime.  She  raised  her  head  loftily, 
and  fixed  on  the  savage  beast  before  her  a  gaze,  in  which 
shone  that  steadfast  light  of  human  intelligence  and  cour- 
age, which  can  subdue  the  most  bloodthirsty  of  the  lower 
animals,  when  its  fascination  arrests  their  bloodshot  eyes. 
The  paleness  of  her  cheek,  the  slight  twitching  of  the 
corners  of  her  mouth,  and  the  dilatation  of  her  nostril, 
like  that  of  a  war-horse  snuffing  the  battle,  alone  showed 
the  smothered  wrath  glowing  in  her  breast,  at  the  in- 
solence of  Abbas. 

He  now  walked  the  room  like  a  tiger  in  its  cage,  chaf- 
ing under  the  eye  of  its  keeper  —  and  striving  to  lash 
himself  into  the  fresh  rage.  When  the  woman  spoke 
again,  her  voice  was  clear,  calm  and  cold,  devoid  of 
passion  or  irritation,  but  too  measured  in  the  accents  to 
be  quite  natural. 

"Abbas  Pasha !  "  she  said,  "are  you  mad?     And  has 

your  frenzy  for  revenge  on  a  wretched  Copt  man  —  your 

lust  for  his  Ingleeze  wife  —  led  you  so  far  from  common 

reason,  as  to  cause  you  to  insult  me?  —  me,  whose  hate 

33* 


39°  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

you  well  know  is  as  strong  as  my  friendship  !  —  me,  to 
whom  you  owe  so  much  !  You  well  know  there  was 
never-  any  love  lost  between  you  and  me.  We  were 
necessary  to  each  other  —  we  are  so  still !  But  I  brook 
not  such  treatment  from  living  man ;  and  unless  you 
make  ample  apology  for  your  words  of  insult,  I  shake 
the  dust  of  your  house  from  my  feet  forever,  and  you 
have  made  one  enemy  more  —  dangerous  as  all  the 
others  ! 

"For  the  stars,  that  cannot  lie,  have  revealed  to  me 
that  thy  destiny  is  in  my  hands.  Our  houses  are  linked 
together,  since  we  both  were  born  under  the  planet  Sa- 
turn ;  but  my  place  in  his  house  controls  thine  !  I  have 
spoken  !  " 

When  the  princess  commenced  speaking,  Abbas  —  as 
though  heedless  of  her  words — continued  pacing  up  and 
down  the  chamber.  Gradually  he  checked  his  steps  as 
she  went  on,  finally  stopped,  and,  as  she  closed  with  that 
appeal  to  his  superstition,  the  color  fled  from  his  face, 
and  terror  succeeded  wrath.  His  eye  quailed  under  the 
calm  contemptuous  gaze  of  the  princess ;  but  with  as 
much  dignity  as  he  could  summon  to  his  aid,  he  said  : 

"  Let  there  be  peace,  I  pray,  between  me  and  thee,  O 
Khanum  !  Pardon  and  forget  the  hasty  words  which 
should  have  been  addressed  to  no  woman  ;  and  least  of 
all  to  thee,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  so  many  past 
favors,  and  to  whom  I  look  forward  for  aid  and  counsel 
now  !  Ask  any  one  thing  but  that  thou  hast  demanded 
of  me,  and  it  is  granted  before  it  is  named.  And  even 
that  request  I  will  seriously  reflect  upon  also,  and  in  it 
will  do  all  I  can  to  meet  thy  wishes.  Art  thou  content, 
O  heart  and  brain  of  man,  under  most  winning  guise  of 


ASKAROS   K ASS  IS.  39! 

woman?  And  shall  we  be  friends  again  for  life  and 
death?" 

"Ay!"  answered  Nezle,  with  a  winning  smile,  that 
showed  all  her  sharp  white  teeth.  And  taking  the  hand 
he  held  out  in  amity,  her  small  fingers  closed  on  it  like  a 
vice.  "Ay,  Abbas,  my  kinsman,  for  life  and  death  !  " 

"  Why  dost  thou  echo  my  words?"  asked  the  Vice- 
roy, anxiously,  not  half  satisfied  with  the  peculiar  em- 
phasis she  laid  upon  them.  "Can  I  make  further  atone- 
ment to  thee  for  my  folly?  " 

"Oh,  no,  no  !  I  am  quite  satisfied  with  thee  now," 
answered  the  Khanum,  carelessly.  "But  we  cannot  quarrel 
again  for  many  months  to  come.  For  in  truth  the  chief 
purpose  of  my  visit  to-day  was  to  make  my  adieux,  as  I 
go  to  pass  several  months  at  Stamboul  —  perhaps  to  re- 
main there  permanently.  I  am  tired  of  Egypt ;  and  the 
gossips  of  the  coffee-houses  have  made  me  unpopular  here 
with  their  slanders  and  vile  stories." 

The  tidings  seemed  to  give  the  Viceroy  real  pleasure, 
though  he  strove  to  repress  its  manifestation,  and  po- 
litely expressed  his  regret  at  the  loss  he  should  sustain, 
and  his  hopes  of  her  speedy  return.  The  reconciliation 
between  the  pair  seemed  complete ;  and  when,  in  the 
evening,  at  parting,  Abbas  placed  upon  her  finger  a 
costly  ring  of  brilliants  and  rubies,  the  Khanum's  man- 
ner showed  she  coasidered  friendly  relations  as  perfectly 
re-established. 

As  they  parted  at  the  door  of  the  hareem,  the  princess 
said,  carelessly : 

' '  Oh  !  as  I  had  forgotten  to  say  before,  as  I  am  going 
to  Stamboul,  I  can  let  you  have  two  charming  young 
Mamelukes.  They  were  lately  sent  me  as  a  present  from 
the  Sultana,  and  would  just  suit  you.  Some  time  since- 


392  ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS. 

you  said  you  were  in  need  of  handsome  boys,  and  you 
know  you  can  depend  upon  my  taste." 

Abbas,  who  was  again  in  high  good  humor,  thanked 
her  warmly  for  the  gift,  declaring  he  was  much  in  want 
of  two  Mamelukes  near  his  person,  such  as  she  described. 
Promising  to  send  them  to  him  by  her  head  eunuch  — 
and  mentioning  one  was  a  Georgian  and  the  other  a  Cir- 
cassian—  Nezle  left  her  kinsman  with  mutual  smiles,  and 
their  quarrel  was  apparently  forgotten. 

A  crowd  of  officious  female  slaves  accompanied  her  to 
the  carriage-door,  and  assisted  her  in.  As  the  door 
closed,  she  beckoned  to  one  of  them,  whose  veil  was 
down,  and  whose  whole  appearance  indicated  great  age, 
so  bent,  and  bowed,  and  feeble,  looked  she,  as  she 
shuffled  along. 

Into  this  woman's  ear  the  Khanum  whispered  these 
words : 

"Thou  hast  done  well  to  summon  me.  Watch  and 
guard  her  still.  This  evening  I  send  two  auxiliaries ; 
and  when  my  signet-ring  is  shown  thee,  prepare  the 
draught !  The  rest  leave  to  me.  The  stars  have  not 
lied — the  horoscope  will  be  fulfilled,  and  the  new  moon 
comes  after  to-morrow  !  " 

The  old  crone  nodded  her  head  in  response,  but  said 
no  word  ;  and,  as  the  carriage  drove  off,  she  tottered 
into  the  hareem-door,  and  up  the  stairs  that  led  to  the 
apartments  of  the  mother  of  Abbas.  Arrived  there,  she 
threw  off  her  cloak,  and  disclosed  the  features  of  the  old 
Frenchwoman. 

"  What  does  she  meditate?"  she  muttered.  "  She  is 
a  fearful  woman  !  I  think  I  know — but  how  will  she  do 
it?  I  would  have  done  it  for  her,  had  she  commanded. 
And  so  I  told  her  when  I  revealed  the  plot  against  her 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  393 

life.  Lucky  I  was  to  be  hidden  behind  Abbas'  divan, 
and  overheard  the  plot  against  her  life,  as  against  that 
of  Askaros.  But  she  only  laughed,  and  said,  '  that  was 
not  woman's  work;  and  that  she  could  always  find  fit 
tools  to  do  her  work,  so  long  as  men  were  such  fools. ' 
Then  she  laughed  again  ;  but  it  was  not  a  pleasant  laugh 
to  hear,  and  it  boded  ill  to  somebody  And  then  her 
parting  words  about  the  horoscope,  and  the  waning 
moon  !  She  means  mischief !  I  doubt  me  she  means 
mischief ! ' ' 

And  still  muttering  in  this  strain,  the  old  Frenchwoman 
threw  off  the  rest  of  the  disguise,  and  sought  the  presence 
of  Edith. 


CHAPTER   XXXV. 

THE   SWOOP    OF   THE   VULTURE. 

AS  Abbas  Pasha,  ill  at  ease  with  himself,  in  spite  of 
the  reconciliation  he  had  effected  with  his  dan- 
gerous kinswoman,  and  chafing  under  the  consciousness 
of  having  put  himself  more  thoroughly  than  ever  into  her 
power,  wended  his  way  back  to  his  mother's  apartments, 
the  idea  occurred  to  him  of  feasting  his  eyes  upon  his 
fair  captive  once  again.  Quietly  stealing  up  the  narrow 
stairs  to  his  hiding-place,  he  looked  down  upon  the  two 
women,  who,  deeming  themselves  secure  from  observa- 
tion, were  not  on  their  guard.  To  his  surprise  he  saw 
Edith  —  no  longer  lying  ill  and  languid  on  her  divan, 
but  apparently  restored  to  her  usual  vigor,  though  still 
pale — now  standing  near  the  window,  and  conversing  in 
eager  tones  with  the  old  Frenchwoman.  And  the  latter's 
manner  struck  him  as  less  deferential  and  more  confi- 
dential than  he  liked. 

His  suspicious  nature  was  roused  by  this  sight ;  so, 
returning  as  noiselessly  as  he  had  come,  he  passed  back 
to  his  own  private  chamber,  took  from  a  cabinet  a  red 
velvet  case  of  oblong  shape,  and  opening  the  door  of 
Edith's  prison,  passed  quietly  through.  So  noiseless 
were  his  movements,  the  first  intimation  the  startled 

394 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  395 

women  had  of  his  approach  was  the  sight  of  him  standing 
within  a  few  steps  of  them,  intently  regarding  them  both, 
and  listening  to  the  conversation  he  could  not  compre- 
hend, as  though  to  learn  its  purport  from  the  looks  and 
gestures  of  the  speakers. 

The  Frenchwoman  was  the  first  to  recover  her  com- 
posure ;  blank  terror  and  dismay  were  stamped  upon  the 
features  of  Edith.  Making  a  lowly  obeisance  to  the 
visitor,  the  former  stood  like  a  statue,  her  head  bent 
down,  waiting  his  sovereign  pleasure.  Edith,  whose 
trembling  limbs  could  scarce  support  her  quivering  frame, 
leaned  against  the  window  for  support,  her  dilating  eyes 
fixed  upon  the  intruder,  whom  she  recognized  at  once, 
with  a  mixture  of  dread  and  abhorrence;  yet  by  the  fas- 
cination of  terror  unable  to  withdraw  them  from  his  re- 
pulsive countenance,  now  rendered  still  more  odious  to 
her,  by  the  look  of  stolid  satisfaction  the  features  wore. 

Abbas  enjoyed  their  confusion  in  silence  for  some 
time ;  but  when  he  spoke,  it  was  with  a  grave  courtesy, 
not  without  dignity. 

"Say  to  my  fair  guest,"  he  said  to  the  interpreter, 
"that  it  rejoices  me  to  see  that  her  health  is  again  re- 
stored. Say  that  I  have  visited  her  thus  unannounced,  to 
tell  her  this  palace  and  all  it  contains  are  at  her  disposal, 
including  its  master,  who  now  stands  before  her." 

The  woman,  instead  of  giving  word  for  word  the  Vice- 
roy's speech,  slowly  and  like  one  rendering  a  full  trans- 
lation, simply  said  : 

"  He  offers  you  the  house  and  all  it  contains.  Answer 
him,  and  say  you  are  sensible  of  the  honor  he  does  you, 
but  do  not  know  why  you  were  brought  here." 

Edith  did  as  suggested,  and  the  interpreter  gravely 


396  ASKAKOS    KASSIS. 

turned  the  words  into  Turkish  for  the  Viceroy,  who 
turned  sharply  upon  her. 

''Have  you  not  explained  this  to  her,  and  prepared 
her  for  my  visit  ?  "  he  growled. 

"Highness,  I  have  done  my  best,"  she  answered, 
calmly  ;  "  but  the  Ingleze  are  very  stupid  and  very  stub- 
born—  not  like  the  women  you  have  known." 

"  Tell  her,  then,"  answered  Abbas,  "  that  I  could  not 
live  without  her,  and  resorted  to  stratagem  to  secure  her, 
out  of  my  great  love  for  her ;  that  I  intended  her  to  be 
the  head  of  my  hareem,  and  Queen  of  Egypt.  In  proof 
of  this,  I  have  brought  her  a  trifle  as  a  present,  which  I 
beg  her  to  accept."  And  opening  the  velvet  case,  he 
took  thence  a  splendid  parure  of  diamonds  and  pearls 
arranged  as  a  coronet,  and  a  necklace  and  bracelets 
of  fabulous  value.  These  he  proffered  to  the  shrink- 
ing girl,  who  made  no  motion  to  accept  them,  but  only 
stared  at  him  and  his  gift  with  wide,  open  eyes  full  of 
terror. 

"  Tell  him  that  your  acquaintance  is  yet  too  brief  for 
you  to  accept  his  presents,  and  determine  if  you  can  re- 
turn his  love,"  prompted  the  Frenchwoman.  "Say 
something,  for  God's  sake  !  and  don't  stand  staring  there, 
and  I  will  tell  him  what  is  best.  I  fear  to  anger  him ; 
so  rouse  yourself,  and  look  less  like  a  bird  under  the  eye 
of  a  serpent.  Your  fear  will  encourage  him,  and  then 
may  follow  violence,  which  I  cannot  resist.  Gain  time ! 
it  is  everything.  For  your  husband's  sake,  if  not  your 
own,  be  a  woman  and  not  a  child  !  " 

Thus  adjured,  Edith  nerved  herself  to  the  repulsive 
task ;  and  just  in  time :  for  the  patience  of  Abbas  was 
well-nigh  exhausted,  and  the  evil  gleam  began  to  shine 
in  his  dull  eye.  He  roughly  questioned  the  old  woman 


ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS.  397 

as  to  what  she  was  saying  to  the  Ingleez  —  which  she  ex- 
plained in  her  own  way  — and  as  he  saw  Edith  assume  a 
more  friendly  manner,  credited  the  explanation.  He 
laid  the  sparkling  parure  upon  the  window-ledge  and 
drew  nearer  the  girl's  side  —  though  not  offering  to  take 
her  hand,  nor  to  touch  her  —  and,  through  the  interpre- 
ter, talked  to  her  in  that  strain  an  Eastern  man  thinks 
most  likely  to  please  a  woman. 

He  paid  her  florid  compliments,  full  of  hyperbole ; 
compared  her  complexion,  eyes  and  figure  with  all  ani- 
mate and  inanimate  objects,  proffering  unbounded  affec- 
tion and  untold  wealth  and  luxury,  if  she  would  but  smile 
upon  him  and  return  his  passion. 

To  all  these  the  Frenchwoman  answered  for  Edith  in 
vague  terms  ;  not  actually  repulsing  him,  but  urging  the 
necessity  of  longer  time  and  more  intimate  acquaintance. 
This  plan,  adroitly  as  it  was  managed,  seemed  only  to 
have  encouraged  the  brutal  nature  and  gross  instincts  of 
the  Viceroy  ;  and  the  Frenchwoman  saw  with  terror  she 
had  finessed  too  much,  when  after  an  hour  of  this  weary 
talk,  Abbas  rose  from  the  seat  he  had  taken,  and,  instead 
of  offering  to  go,  motioned  her  to  withdraw,  and  leave 
him  alone  with  his  captive. 

For  a  second  the  woman  seemed  to  hesitate ;  but  re- 
flecting on  the  impossibility  of  resistance,  she  withdrew, 
casting  on  Edith  a  look  full  of  meaning,  and  touching 
significantly  the  handle  of  the  dagger  hidden  in  her 
bosom.  The  gesture  was  unseen  by  Abbas,  who  looked 
not  at  her,  but  gloated  upon  the  charms  of  his  destined 
victim. 

The  momentary  hope  inspired  in  the  breast  of  Edith 
by  this  gesture,  and  the  wild  idea  that  the  old  woman 
might  slay  Abbas  where  he  stood  —  suggested  by  her  des- 
34 


398  ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS. 

peration  — died  away  when  the  woman  passed  out,  clos- 
ing the  door  noisily,  and  dropping  the  curtain  before  it 
inside.  But  neither  Edith  nor  Abbas  observed  that  she 
softly  reopened  it,  and  stooped  down  behind  the  curtain, 
peering  eagerly  through  into  the  room,  fierce  resolve 
written  on  every  line  of  her  haggard  face,  and  a  long, 
keen  dagger  bare  in  her  hand  —  a  crouching  tigress  ready 
for  the  spring ! 

"If  it  comes  to  the  worst,"  the  woman  muttered, 
"this  shall  cut  it  short !  Who  can  tell  but  the  stars  have 
assigned  this  expiation  to  me?" 

And  so,  wan,  worn,  terrible,  with  glittering  eyes,  like 
a  wild  beast  at  bay,  she  watched  and  waited  there  ;  more 
dangerous  than  any  beast  of  prey  —  than  any  desperate 
man  —  in  the  recklessness  of  roused  feminine  ferocity! 

Abbas  —  undreaming  of  danger  and  possible  death 
lurking  so  close  behind  him — uttered  a  grunt  of  satis- 
faction as  she  left  the  room,  and  approached  the  ter- 
rified girl,  who  seemed  to  shrink  within  herself,  as  his 
loathed  form  drew  near  her,  as  she  still  leant  against  the 
window. 

Unable  to  converse  with  her,  he  took  up  the  case  of 
jewels,  and  selecting  thence  the  coronet  of  pearls,  essayed 
to  place  it  on  her  brow.  Half  stupefied  with  terror,  the 
girl  made  no  resistance  to  this  overture,  but  shrinkingly 
submitted  to  it,  her  pallid  face  and  wild,  agonized  eyes 
offering  a  fearful  contrast  to  the  sparkling  gems  that 
blazed  and  scintillated  on  her  brow. 

Emboldened  by  his  success  —  or  mistaking  the  terrified 
submission  of  his  captive  for  pleased  acquiescence — Abbas 
next  placed  the  necklace  around  her  neck.  In  doing  so, 
whether  by  intention  or  by  chance  she  could  not  tell,  his 
clammy  hand  touched  her  bosom. 


ASKAKOS    KASSIS.  399 

But  that  touch  roused  to  indignation  and  horror  the 
terror  that  hitherto  had  paralyzed  the  faculties  of  the  in- 
sulted wife.  The  hot  blood  surged  through  her  veins ; 
her  courage  rose  to  desperation,  and  raising  her  arm,  she 
repulsed  the  officious  and  revolting  admirer  with  such 
force,  that  he  reeled  several  steps  away,  and  would  have 
fallen,  had  he  not  staggered  against  a  divan.  Here  he 
supported  himself,  gasping  for  breath  through  mingled 
astonishment,  rage,  and  baser  passions  still. 

But  the  violence  done  him  seemed  to  have  roused  the 
wild  beast  within  him,  sometimes  dormant  but  ever  ready 
to  awaken  ;  for  with  a  hoarse  cry,  and  with  an  unmis- 
takable expression  on  his  sensual  face,  he  sprang  forward 
to  seize  the  helpless  form  of  the  frail  woman  in  his  strong 
arms. 

And  then  the  seconds  of  Abbas  Pasha's  life  were  well- 
nigh  numbered  !  For,  at  that  cry  and  movement,  there 
glared  from  behind  the  curtain  a  face,  more  fiendish  and 
more  fell,  than  ever  woman's  was  before  —  a  face  like 
those  that  Greek  and  Roman  painters  feigned  for  the 
Furies  —  full  of  eager  hate,  and  hot  thirst  for  blood. 

In  the  long,  lean,  sinewy  right  hand  this  terrible  shape, 
like  avenging  Fate,  held — not  the  fabled  snaky  scourge 
of  Tisiphone — but  a  keen,  gleaming  dagger.  And,  as 
Abbas  rushed  forward,  it  rose  to  its  feet,  ready  to  bound 
upon  him  ! 

The  next  moment,  it  sunk  back  and  slunk  away  into 
concealment ;  for  Abbas  recoiled  more  suddenly  than  he 
had  advanced,  and  —  with  craven  terror  in  every  feature 
of  his  vile  countenance  —  cast  a  hurried  backward  glance 
at  the  door-way,  as  though  meditating  flight. 

Gathering  courage  from  despair,  and  with  womanly 
modesty  exasperated  into  recklessness,  the  American  girl 


4OO  ASKAROS    K ASS  IS. 

had  drawn  up  her  figure  to  its  full  height,  her  bright  blue 
eye  flashing  the  fire  of  outraged  womanhood,  and  had 
thrust  her  hand  into  her  bosom.  Then,  as  Abbas  rushed 
to  seize  her,  as  the  vulture  swoops  upon  its  prey,  in  the 
uplifted  right  hand  of  the  maiden  he  saw  gleaming  a 
dagger,  apparently  menacing  his  own  precious  life. 

Dastard  as  he  was  sensual  —  craven  as  he  was  cruel,  the 
seducer  fell  back,  not  knowing  —  from  the  wild  cry  with 
which  she  accompanied  her  act  —  that  in  utter  desola- 
tion, preferring  death  to  dishonor,  the  blow  she  medi- 
tated was  for  herself  —  not  him. 

"God  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner!"  was  that  cry. 
''Better  this  than  worse,  O  Askaros  !  my  husband  !  for 
whom  is  my  latest  prayer — my  last  thought — my  parting 
breath!" 

But  she  arrested  her  upraised  hand,  as  she  saw  the 
baffled  ravisher  recoil,  and  stand  irresolute  in  the  attitude 
of  a  beaten  hound,  shame  and  cowardice  struggling  on 
his  face — no  resolve  left  on  his  brow — no  courage  in  his 
eye — but,  like  all  the  meaner  animals  in  peril,  meditat- 
ing flight. 

The  fierce  eyes  that  watched  him  from  behind  the 
curtain  saw  this  too ;  and  as  a  grim  smile  convulsed  the 
firmly  set  lips,  slowly  stole  back  the  dagger  to  its  sheath, 
and  the  wild  figure  crept  outside  the  door,  as  though  all 
peril  were  past,  and,  like  the  hunting-tiger  of  India,  the 
human  beast  within,  baffled  in  his  first  spring,  would  try 
no  second.  Nor  was  she  wrong ;  for  scarcely  had  she 
closed  the  door,  and  concealed  herself,  than  it  was  flung 
violently  open,  and  Abbas  pushed  noisily  through.  With 
the  deadly  sin  of  Tarquin  adding  another  stain  to  his  ul- 
cerated soul,  which  knew  shame  and  fear,  but  not  re- 
morse, the  baffled  tyrant  crept  away  from  the  presence 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  4OI 

of  his  victim  that  might  have  been,  his  prisoner  still  — 
all  unknowing  of  the  deadly  peril  he  had  just  escaped  — 
of  other  dangers  lurking  in  his  path  —  and  only  plotting 
to  carry  out  by  force,  or  fraud,  his  vile  infraction  of  the 
laws  of  God  and  man. 

But  the  small  cloud  no  bigger  than  a  man's  hand, 
which  neither  he,  nor  the  woman,  saw  or  knew  of, 
was  still  rolling  down  toward  him,  charged  with  his 
doom. 

The  Frenchwoman  crept  back  into  the  room,  and  there 
found  Edith,  still  standing  like  a  pythoness,  with  dilating 
eye  and  expanded  nostril,  the  dagger  still  uplifted  in  her 
hand — gazing  with  strained  intensity  on  the  door  through 
which  her  insulter  had  slunk  away.  She  did  not  seem 
to  see  the  woman,  when  she  entered  and  came  up  to  her; 
and  it  was  only  when  she  spoke,  that  Edith,  with  a  start, 
recovered  her  consciousness,  and,  kissing  it  first,  hastily 
replaced  the  dagger  in  her  bosom. 

"Well  done!  my  daughter,"  the  old  woman  said;  "I 
saw  it  all ;  and  strange  to  tell,  you  saved  the  life  of 
yonder  dastard  by  menacing  your  own  !  He  thought  the 
menace  was  for  him.  Cowardly  and  cruel,  the  two  go 
together.  My  dagger  would  have  made  a  new  Viceroy 
for  Egypt,  in  one  second  more,  had  he  gone  forward  in- 
stead of  back !  I  thought  it  was  his  Kismet  to  die  by  my 
hand,  ere  this  moon  wanes  ;  but  it  seems  not.  Yet  the 
stars  cannot  lie  !  But  lie  thou  still,  here,"  she  added,  as 
Edith,  in  reaction  from  her  late  excitement,  fell  upon  her 
neck,  and  burst  into  a  flood  of  hysteric  weeping.  "Lie 
thou  still,  my  daughter.  The  tiger  will  crouch  awhile 
before  he  ventures  another  spring.  He  will  consult  me 
first,  and  employ  me  to  drug  thee  —  I  know  him  well! 
So,  he  is  easily  baffled,  thou  seest.  Rest  tranquil ;  for 
34*  2  A 


4O2  ASKAROS    K 'ASS IS. 

the  Khanum  has  promised,  who  ever  keeps  her  word. 
She  told  me,  'This  evening  I  send  two  auxiliaries.  The 
stars  have  not  lied  !  The  prophecy  will  be  fulfilled  —  the 
new  moon  comes  after  to-morrow ! '  Knowest  thou  what 
that  means,  my  child?  It  signifies  deliverance  for  thee 
— ay!  and  for  Egypt,  too !  — for  the  stars  and  the  Kha- 
num lie  not ! ' ' 


CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

ORZMUD   AND    AHRIMAN. 

AT  noon  on  the  same  day  which  witnessed  the  great 
peril  and  escape  of  Edith  at  the  Abassieh,  El 
Warda  sat  watching  by  the  couch  of  Askaros,  in  the  sad 
and  lonely  house,  in  which  had  lately  been  enacted  so 
many  scenes  of  joy  and  of  woe  —  succeeding  each  other 
with  the  rapidity  and  shifting  changes  of  color  in  the 
kaleidoscope.  The  sick  man,  now  restored  to  his  right 
mind,  but  wan  and  worn  from  the  ravages  of  the  fever 
that  had  shorn  him  of  his  strength,  lay  exhausted  on  his 
couch,  sunk  in  a  fitful  and  disturbed  slumber. 

So  weakened  was  he  in  mind  and  body,  that  it  had 
been  an  easy  task  for  the  girl  —  no  adept  in  deceit,  and 
truthful  always  —  to  make  him  accept  the  preconcerted 
story  that  accounted  for  his  wife's  absence ;  but  he  was 
impatient  for  her  return,  and  every  time  he  wakened, 
would  repeat  the  same  question  as  to  when  she  might  be 
expected. 

It  is  one  of  the  alleviations  of  illness,  that  a  merciful 
Providence  sends,  that  the  doubts  and  fears  which  would 
most  keenly  afflict  us  in  health,  trouble  us  but  little  in 
that  shadowy  realm  that  separates  illness  from  death  ; 
and  a  kind  of  childish  confidence  in  the  statements  of 

403 


404  ASA'AROS    A'ASSIS. 

friends  who  surround  us,  and  minister  to  our  wants,  re- 
places the  exercise  of  individual  judgment.  Therefore 
the  story,  which  in  health  would  not  have  satisfied  Aska- 
ros,  nor  quieted  his  apprehensions,  was  now  perfectly 
reassuring  to  the  sick  man. 

El  Warda  watched  over  him  with  a  sister's  care,  and 
had  only  left  him  when  the  message  brought  by  the  dove 
proved  the  necessity  of  promptitude,  and  induced  her  to 
pay  that  visit  to  the  princess,  of  which  the  results  have 
already  been  related.  As  she  sat  and  watched  the  sick 
man,  she  fell  into  a  reverie,  in  which  the  strange  and 
exciting  scenes  which  had  so  suddenly  broken  the  mo- 
notony of  a  life,  until  now  so  uneventful,  passed  in  re- 
view before  her. 

She  recalled  the  hopes  she  had  cherished  —  not  fully 
understood  by  herself  until  they  were  blasted ;  and  she 
lingered  over  their  memory  with  a  fond  regret.  Then 
her  thoughts  passed  on  to  the  strange  conduct  of  Daoud, 
at  the  second  visit  she  had  paid  him ;  and  to  the  myste- 
rious allusions  he  had  made,  which  she  could  not  com- 
prehend. Her  mind  dwelt  on  him  with  a  pertinacity 
and  an  interest  which  displeased  herself.  She  knew  she 
did  not  love  him  as  she  had  loved  another ;  yet  she  felt 
a  deeper  interest,  and  certainly  a  warmer  sentiment  for 
the  young  Syrian  than  mere  friendship  would  warrant. 

As  the  girl  sat  thus,  with  her  eyes  fixed  on  the  sleep- 
ing invalid,  weaving  these  thoughts  and  fancies  in  her 
busy  brain,  so  deep  was  her  self- absorption  that  she  did 
not  hear  the  sound  of  stealthy  footsteps  creeping  near, 
nor  observe  that  the  curtain  of  the  door  had  been  raised, 
and  several  forms  had  glided  into  the  obscurity  of  the 
darkened  chamber.  The  first  intimation  she  had  of  their 
presence,  was  feeling  something  thrown  over  her  head, 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  405 

and  enveloping  her  arms,  while  strong  hands  seized  and 
bound  her. 

She  could  not  resist,  nor  shriek  out  for  help,  because 
half  stifled  by  the  pressure  of  the  covering  upon  her  face ; 
and  she  was  gently  deposited  on  a  divan,  and  left  there. 
Then  she  could  hear  the  sound  of  persons  moving  softly 
about  the  room,  and  finally  a  noise  as  of  removing  a 
heavy  piece  of  furniture.  But  what  struck  her  as  strange 
was  that  the  noise  did  not  awaken  Askaros ;  for  she  heard 
neither  the  sound  of  his,  nor  of  any  other  voice.  All 
was  carried  on  in  silence.  No  one  spoke,  nor  even 
whispered,  that  she  could  hear.  At  length  even  these 
slight  sounds  ceased,  and  all  was  quiet  again  in  the 
chamber  —  so  quiet,  indeed,  that  the  girl  could  hear  the 
rustling  of  leaves  in  the  garden,  but  no  call  from  Askaros 
—  no  sound  of  human  voice,  or  evidence  of  human  pres- 
ence in  her  vicinity. 

Strange  as  the  situation  was,  the  suddenness  of  the 
whole  thing  had  been  so  great,  and  she  had  been  so 
gently  treated,  that  she  was  but  little  terrified,  though  she 
could  form  no  idea  of  the  meaning  of  the  strange  pro- 
ceeding, since  it  was  plain  no  violence  had  been  intended. 
But  as  time  glided  away,  and  no  one  came  to  liberate  her, 
the  silence  of  the  chamber  became  oppressive.  By  a 
strong  effort  she  released  her  right  arm  from  its  bonds, 
lifted  a  little  the  stifling  pressure  of  the  band  over  her 
face,  and  called  on  her  brother's  name,  to  at  least  awaken 
him,  and  hear  the  sound  of  a  human  voice.  Besides,  she 
knew  he  had  a  small  silver  bell  near  him,  and  could 
summon  the  slaves  to  release  her. 

But  her  surprise  changed  into  alarm  when,  after  calling, 
first  gently,  then  more  loudly,  no  answer  came  but  the 
echo  of  her  own  voice.  A  new  alarm  took  possession 


406  ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS. 

of  her,  and  with  the  strength  of  desperation  she  tore 
away  the  coverings  from  her  face,  wrenched  herself  round 
on  the  divan,  so  as  to  command  a  view  of  the  sick  man's 
couch,  and  peered  eagerly  into  it. 

The  couch  was  empty  ! 

Then,  all  at  once,  flashed  into  her  mind  the  horrid 
purpose  of  this  strange  visit,  and  the  meaning  of  the 
noises  she  had  heard.  They  had  come  to  steal  Askaros 
away,  and  had  succeeded  in  their  attempt.  The  last 
drop  had  fallen.  The  poor  girl's  cup  was  full  !  With  a 
wild  shriek  she  fell  back  again  upon  the  divan ;  and  when 
the  slaves,  summoned  by  the  sound,  ran  to  the  apartment, 
they  discovered  their  master  was  gone,  and  El  Warda 
lying  senseless  in  her  bonds. 

Slowly  she  recovered  her  consciousness,  and  with  it 
a  keen  sense  of  the  new  danger  which  threatened  that 
fated  house.  Askaros,  during  the  tedious  hours  she  had 
sat  by  his  bed  of  illness,  and  told  her  the  strange  tale 
of  his  previous  abduction  ;  and  she  therefore  doubted 
not  an  instant  the  quarter  from  which  this  new  stroke 
came. 

One  thought  alone  suggested  itself  to  her  in  this 
emergency.  She  must  go  and  consult  Daoud,  her  only 
counsellor,  since  she  had  learned  but  the  day  before  that 
Moussa-ben-Israel,  the  only  other  she  could  trust,  was 
still  absent  at  Jerusalem.  Her  resolve  was  no  sooner 
made  than  acted  upon.  She  summoned  Fatima  and  a 
man  slave,  and  for  the  third  time  bent  her  steps  toward 
the  house  of  Daoud. 

Let  us  pass  before  her  into  the  house  of  the  Syrian, 
and  find  out  the  condition  of  mind  in  which  she  was  to 
meet  him.  For,  at  the  moment  of  her  arrival,  he  was 
carrying  on  a  fierce  conflict  in  his  own  soul,  and  striving 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  4O/ 

to  arrive  at  a  decision,  on  which  his  whole  future  destiny 
would  hang. 

The  Persians  believe  that  over  the  birth  of  every  male 
child  there  preside  two  divinities,  Orzmud,  the  Spirit  of 
Good,  and  Ahriman,  the  Spirit  of  Evil ;  and  that  the  life 
of  that  man  represents  the  conflicts  of  these  warring 
angels.  Sometimes  the  one,  again  the  other,  gets  control 
of  all  his  actions  ;  and  the  strife  ends  only  with  his  death, 
when  the  angels  appear  as  witnesses  for  and  against  him, 
before  the  great  Judgment-seat. 

In  the  life,  and  conflicting  influences  of  the  Syrian, 
was  afforded  an  apt  illustration  of  this  Eastern  supersti- 
tion; for  his  soul,  during  many  months,  had  been  a 
battlefield  for  these  warring  powers ;  and  Ahriman,  the 
Spirit  of  Evil,  had  almost  gained  the  mastery,  until  the 
treachery  of  Abbas,  and  the  gentle  influence  of  his  love 
for  the  pure  young  girl,  had  once  more  given  Orzmud  a 
place  in  his  troubled  soul  —  a  battlefield  strewn  with  the 
wrecks  of  past  conflict. 

When  El  Warda,  like  a  ministering  angel,  had  visited 
him  before — wretched,  miserable,  despairing,  and  tremb- 
ling on  the  verge  of  madness,  and  with  her  pure  influence 
had  caused  hope  to  dawn  again  on  his  darkened  spirit  — 
Orzmud  had  gained  the  vantage-ground.  Daoud  vowed 
to  dedicate  the  rest  of  his  life  to  better  and  brighter 
things,  and  to  make  himself  worthy  of  her  he  loved. 
Hence  he  had  labored  diligently  and  indefatigably  to 
undo  his  own  evil  work,  and  to  expiate  it  by  services  to 
the  man  whom  he  had  formerly  destined  as  his  victim. 

The  force  of  circumstances,  however,  or  as  he  in  his 
Eastern  fatalism  termed  it,  his  Kismet,  had  drawn  him 
once  more  into  the  vortex  of  troubled  waters,  from  which 
he  had  hoped  to  escape :  and  the  instincts  of  hate  and 


4O8  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

vengeance  had  been  revived  in  his  soul,  by  renewed  con- 
flict with  the  wiles  of  Abbas,  and  by  that  interview  with 
the  Khanum,  whose  skilful  touch  had  set  bleeding  afresh 
the  wounds  of  pride  and  revenge,  festering  and  unhealed 
within  his  soul. 

These  evil  impulses  had  almost  banished  the  good  in- 
fluence, that  had  fallen  like  dew  upon  his  heart,  in  the 
interview  with  the  woman  he  loved  with  all  the  wild 
idolatry  of  his  passionate  Eastern  nature.  And  Ahriman, 
not  Orzmud,  was  whispering  to  him,  as  he  sat  awaiting 
the  eunuch  who  was  again  to  lead  him  into  the  presence 
of  the  Khanum. 

But,  mingling  with  the  tempting  suggestions  of  the 
fiend,  appealing  to  his  fiercer  passions,  came  the  chill 
whispers  of  doubt  and  dread.  The  mission  on  which 
the  princess  sought  to  send  him  he  more  than  suspected, 
for  his  subtle  intellect  did  not  require  such  broad  hints 
as  she  had  given,  to  fathom  her  fell  purpose.  It  was  a 
mission  of  life  or  death  for  him  or  for  another,  and  the 
odds  were  fearfully  in  favor  of  his  enemy,  whom  he  now 
knew  to  be  hers  also.  She  incurred  no  risk  —  that  was 
all  his.  If  he  failed,  on  his  head  alone  would  fall  the 
penalty.  Perhaps  it  was  a  trick,  after  all,  and  she  was 
acting  as  the  instrument  of  that  enemy  to  lure  him  to  his 
destruction.  But  his  subtle  spirit  soon  dismissed  the  last 
suspicion.  The  woman  was  in  earnest.  There  could  be 
no  doubt  of  that ;  but  she  had  saved  him  before,  only 
with  the  view  to  use  him,  as  she  was  now  doing.  Turn 
it  as  he  would,  he  was  her  tool  after  all,  when  he  flat- 
tered himself  he  was  avenging  his  own  wrongs. 

That  thought  was  galling  to  his  proud  spirit.  Was  he 
doomed  ever  to  be  the  catspaw  and  convenience  of 


A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS.  409 

others  ?  he,  who  felt  in  his  soul  the  power  of  originating 
and  commanding  ! 

Then,  too,  there  came  another  suggestion.  He  was 
playing  a  fearful  game,  the  price  of  which  was  his  own 
life,  which  might  be  wrested  from  him,  as  the  Khanum 
had  told  him,  under  slow  tortures,  to  which  his  previous 
punishment  had  been  as  thistle-down,  when  weighed 
against  them.  Like  many  men  of  the  greatest  moral 
courage,  and  utterly  contemptuous  of  danger,  however 
great  if  only  sudden,  the  delicate  nervous  organization 
of  the  Syrian  rendered  him  morbidly  susceptible  to  physi- 
cal pain,  as  much  so  as  a  woman.  Therefore,  he  shud- 
dered at  the  thought  of  those  slow  tortures  the  princess 
had  hinted  of,  and  which  rose  to  his  imagination  in  the 
shape  of  .impalement,  and  other  Eastern  punishments. 

But  more  than  all — after  incurring  the  terrible  risk  of 
all  these  dangers  —  was  he  sure  of  getting  his  reward? 
even  if  successful.  He  had  no  promise,  no  pledge  from 
El  Warda  that  she  would  pay  him  the  only  price  he  cov- 
eted, and  be  the  guardian  angel  of  his  life  when  he  came 
back  triumphant,  when  he  had  fulfilled  his  pledge  to  her 
to  save  those  two,  one  of  whom,  he  half  feared,  she  still 
loved  with  a  consuming  though  pure  and  hopeless  passion. 

These  thoughts  had  recurred  to  him  while  returning 
from  the  bath,  after  making  the  changes  in  his  appear- 
ance suggested  by  the  Khanum  ;  for  those  very  precau- 
tions proved  how  dangerous  needs  must  be  the  mission 
requiring  such  disguise.  He  half  resolved  to  temporize, 
and,  under  plea  of  illness,  to  refuse  to  go  when  the  prin- 
cess sent  for  him,  that  he  might  have  more  time  to  think 
over  an  affair  so  momentous.  For  there  was  a  desperate 
hope  in  his  heart,  that  he  might  yet  win  El  Warda  with- 
35 


410  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

out  so  terrible  an  ordeal,  without  once  more  staining  his 
soul  and  his  hands  with  fresh  sin. 

He  was  sent  for  no  child's  play;  that  he  knew.  To 
gain  such  an  angel,  must  he,  like  the  old  Greek  he  had 
read  of,  descend  into  hell?  unlike  him,  not  to  find  her 
there,  but  to  drag  her  down  from  her  pure  sphere,  to 
consort  with  one,  the  accomplice  and  tool  of  a  she-devil? 

No,  he  would  not  go  !  at  least  not  yet.  He  would  try 
first  if  more  legitimate  and  less  wicked  means  could  not 
accomplish  the  ends  he  sought;  means  of  which  he 
could  frankly  speak,  and  she  could  approve.  For  the 
other  black  secret  would  hang  over  their  future  confi- 
dence, and  cloud  his  happiness  like  a  funeral  pall.  No, 
he  would  not  go  ! 

As  these  thoughts  passed  through  his  mind  he  looked 
out  of  the  window  over  the  trees  of  the  Ezbekieh,  and 
gazed  up  in  the  air,  with  a  sudden  remembrance  of  the 
omen  he  had  seen  there  so  many  weary,  weary  days  ago, 
when  the  shadows  of  the  coming  evil  were  just  beginning 
to  darken  his  soul. 

High  up  in  air,  just  over  the  Ezbekieh  trees,  sailed  a 
vulture-hawk,  slowly  circling  down,  as  if  intending  to 
alight. 

"  I  see  the  vulture  now,  but  not  the  dove,"  the  Syrian 
muttered.  "  Like  me,  he  is  weary  of  the  chase,  and 
longs  for  rest,  not  evil." 

Even  as  he  spoke,  an  Arnaout  ruffian,  who  was  loung- 
ing, half  drunk  with  arrackee,  in  front  of  the  coffee- 
house, suddenly  sprang  up,  levelled  at  the  vulture  his  long 
Albanian  rifle  with  twisted  stock,  and  just  as  the  bird  was 
about  settling  to  its  rest,  brought  it  heavily  to  the  earth, 
fluttering  in  its  death-agony. 

"  Is  that  an  omen  too?"  hissed  Daoud,  fiercely.     "  Is 


ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

the  foul  fiend  permitted  ever  to  mock  me  thus,  when  a 
good  aspiration  rises  to  my  soul  ?  Oh,  that  I  could  see 
my  guardian  angel  now,  to  confirm  my  good  resolves ! ' ' 
The  almost  unspoken  words  had  scarcely  passed  his 
lips  when  she  whom  he  had  invoked  glided  into  the  room ; 
and  when  he  turned,  he  saw  her  standing  at  his  side,  gaz- 
ing upon  him  with  a  half  wondering  look  of  doubt  and 
recognition. 


CHAPTER   XXXVII. 

EL  WARDA'S  SACRIFICE. 

WHEN  El  Warda  entered  the  silent  and  deserted 
house  of  the  Syrian,  she  saw  no  one  below,  and, 
passing  up  the  stairs,  she  entered  again  for  the  third  time, 
the  sitting-room  looking  out  upon  the  Ezbekieh. 

But  she  started  back  in  disappointment,  and  in  shame, 
at  seeing  another  than  Daoud  there.  The  slight  figure 
standing  by  the  window,  with  the  back  toward  her, 
seemed  his,  but  when  it  turned  toward  her,  in  response 
to  her  light  touch  upon  the  arm,  she  recoiled  in  amaze- 
ment. 

Though  the  features  were  similar  to  Daoud's,  instead 
of  the  colorless  complexion  of  the  Syrian,  with  the  thick 
short  hair  clustering  around  the  temples,  the  face  she 
saw  was  swarthy  as  that  of  a  Circassian;  the  ample  tur- 
ban covered  a  shaven  head,  while  the  beardless  upper 
lip  lacked  the  silken  moustache  Daoud  always  wore.  The 
man  seemed  equally  embarrassed,  though  he  did  not 
show  the  same  surprise  as  herself,  for  he  seemed  to  rec- 
ognize her  in  spite  of  the  thick  veil,  which  she  had  not 
raised.  When  he  spoke  she  was  reassured,  for  the  voice 
and  the  smile  she  at  once  knew  as  those  of  the  man  she 

412 


ASKAR  OS    KASSIS.  413 

sought ;  though  she  still  marvelled  much  at  the  strange 
metamorphosis. 

"  Welcome,  thrice  welcome  to  my  poor  house  !  whose 
master  is  ever  at  thy  service,  gentle  lady,"  he  said.  "Sit 
down,  and  tell  the  most  devoted  of  thy  servants  to  what 
cause  he  owes  the  honor  of  this  visit;  for  well  he  knows 
it  is  not  made  without  grave  reason.  Now,  as  ever,  thou 
hast  only  to  command  him." 

El  Warda  took  the  proffered  seat  in  silence,  much 
marvelling  at  the  masquerade  that  had  so  changed  her 
companion,  that  even  she  did  not  at  first  know  him.  Lost 
in  thought,  she  did  not  speak  for  some  minutes,  and 
Daoud  also  preserved  a  respectful  silence,  as  though 
awaiting  her  pleasure. 

At  length  she  spoke,  and,  making  no  allusion  to  his 
appearance,  related  to  him  circumstantially  the  incidents 
already  described  ;  beseeching  his  aid  a  second  time  to 
save  her  brother,  as  he  had  done  the  first. 

When  the  girl  had  finished  her  tale,  a  revival  of  the 
fierce  conflict  he  had  first  gone  through,  took  place  in  his 
troubled  soul.  He  saw  the  dangers  of  the  new  compli- 
cation, caused  by  the  renewed  treachery  of  Abbas,  and 
the  necessity  for  prompt  action,  if  he  would  save  both 
husband  and  wife.  But  his  distracted  brain  could  find 
no  other  hope  of  aid,  than  the  dread  woman  he  had 
sought  to  repudiate. 

He  felt  the  supreme  crisis  of  their  fate  —  of  his  own 
and  of  the  gentle  girl  before  him,  so  trusting  and  so  de- 
pendent on  him — had  come.  He  felt  his  decision  must 
be  immediate,  as  it  would  be  final ;  that  the  fate  of  all 
four,  and  of  another  besides,  their  deadliest  foe,  hung 
trembling  in  the  balance,  which  a  breath  from  his  lips 
would  incline.  And  at  that  thought,  his  pride  and  his 
35* 


4H  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

courage,  from  temporary  eclipse  rose  into  full  effulgence, 
and  his  voice  and  mien  were  composed,  almost  com- 
manding, when  he  spoke  again. 

"El  Warda !  sister,  and  more  than  sister!  light  of 
my  life  !  pulse  of  my  heart,  and  inspiration  of  my  soul !  " 
he  cried  :  "  the  liberty  of  Askaros  Kassis  and  the  honor 
of  his  wife,  the  life  of  Daoud-ben-Youssouf,  and  of  their 
common  foe,  all  — strange  as  it  may  seem  to  thee  — all 
now  hang  upon  the  slander  thread  of  one  word  from 
those  lips  of  thine  !  Utter  it,  and  I  go  to  danger,  per- 
haps to  death,  to  rescue  those  thou  lovest  even  more 
than  thine  own  dear  self.  Utter  it  not,  and  I  fold  my 
arms,  and  lift  not  my  hand  and  peril  not  my  life,  for 
those  who  care  not  for  me,  and  whom  I  regard  as  less 
than  any  single  hair  that  falls  from  thy  beloved  head  ! 
With  thee,  and  thee  alone,  rests  the  decision  —  and  on 
that  decision  hangs  the  destiny  of  all !  " 

"And  that  word  ! ' '  cried  El  Warda.  "What  is  it  ?  and 
how  can  one  word  from  the  lips  of  a  weak  girl  do  such  great 
things?  Oh  !  Daoud,  dost  thou  too  mock  at  my  misery 
by  such  words  at  such  a  time  ? ' '  and  dropping  her  face  in 
her  hands,  the  hot  tears  trickled  through  them,  each  drop 
blistering  the  Syrian's  soul !  while  the  shudder  that  ran 
through  her  frame  attested  the  violence  of  her  grief,  at  the 
loss  of  her  last  hope  —  his  sympathy  and  succor. 

A  spasm  of  pain  contracted  the  Syrian's  brow  at  the 
sight  of  her  suffering ;  but,  the  sublime  and  pitiless  ego- 
tism of  the  passion  he  called  love,  conquered.  He  stood 
still,  watching  her,  while  every  nerve  and  fibre  of  his 
frame  quivered  with  suppressed  pain — -like  that  of  a 
wretch  upon  the  rack  —  at  witnessing  her  suffering.  Grad- 
ually the  hysterical  paroxysm  passed ;  the  girl's  sobs  grew 
infrequent,  then  ceased:  and  she  raised  her  eyes,  still 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  415 

wet  with  tears,  to  the  arbiter  of  so  many  destinies  besides 
his  own,  in  a  mute  appeal  that  he  felt  he  must  answer. 

Callous  as  he  had  grown  —  invulnerable  as  Achilles  to 
the  ordinary  casualties  of  the  warfare  we  call  life  —  like 
the  Grecian,  he  too  had  his  one  point,  through  which  he 
too  might,  at  an  unguarded  moment,  meet  his  fate.  No 
Indian  at  the  stake  ever  endured  with  more  stoical  com- 
posure the  tortures  that  agonized  body  and  soul,  than  he 
had  outwardly  witnessed  the  sufferings  of  the  girl  before 
him,  crushed  by  the  loss  of  her  last  hope.  And  the 
cynical  coldness  with  which  he  had  spoken,  made  her 
resign  herself  to  the  grief  of  utter  despair. 

But  that  look  was  more  than  the  man  could  bear ;  and 
the  suppressed  passion,  the  grief,  the  love,  the  agony  that 
possessed  him  —  all  found  vent  at  last  in  a  rush  of  words 
that  almost  choked  his  utterance. 

He  told  her  now,  in  words  that  burned  with  the  heat 
of  his  own  long  stifled  passions,  all  his  love,  all  his  mis- 
ery, all  his  sin  !  He  concealed  nothing  —  extenuated 
nothing.  Had  he  been  standing  before  the  great  Judg- 
ment-seat in  the  presence  of  his  offended  Creator,  he 
could  not  have  spoken  more  fully.  With  the  frankness 
of  a  death  confession,  he  explained  to  her  everything 
that  had  hitherto  seemed  dark  and  mysterious  ;  and  he 
opened  to  the  astonished  vision  of  the  pure  girl  the  black 
depths  of  sin  and  sorrow,  unsuspected  before  by  her 
guileless  heart,  to  which  evil  had  been  a  horrible,  but 
shapeless  thing. 

He  told  his  own  story,  concealing  nothing;  he  re- 
vealed the  iniquities  of  Abbas,  and  the  crimes  of  the 
princess ;  he  showed  the  actual  situation  as  it  was,  with 
all  its  terrors  and  all  its  perils. 

When  he  ceased,  the  excitement  that  had  sustained  him 


416  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

thus  far,  seemed  to  give  place  to  deep  humility  and  de- 
spondency. His  head  sunk  upon  his  breast,  his  frame 
seemed  to  collapse,  he  crossed  his  hands  over  his  chest, 
and  stood  like  a  criminal  awaiting  the  sentence  of  his 
judge — all  the  pride,  all  the  passion  which  had  animated 
him  in  the  beginning,  sunk  into  self-abasement  and  dread 
of  the  verdict  he  had  challenged. 

Over  the  expressive  face  of  the  girl,  while  he  continued 
speaking,  there  passed  many  changes ;  from  disapproval 
to  condemnation ;  from  pity  to  almost  loathing ;  from 
righteous  indignation  to  qualified  approval ;  from  repul- 
sion to  sympathy.  But  as  the  penitent  went  on  in  his 
confession,  the  change  from  severity  to  softness  grew 
more  perceptible ;  and  ere  he  finished,  the  expression  of 
that  candid  earnest  face  grew  more  pitying,  more  sym- 
pathetic, almost  affectionate;  as  though  the  first  harsh 
judgment  had  been  revoked. 

When  he  had  ceased,  and  stood  like  the  criminal 
awaiting  sentence,  there  stole  upon  his  ear,  like  the 
music  of  seraphs  from  above,  the  soft,  low  tones  of  the 
voice  he  loved  so  well  to  hear,  bringing  soothing  words 
full  of  hope  and  promise  to  his  struggling  soul. 

"  I  have  heard  thy  strange  tale,  O  Daoud  !  my  broth- 
er," she  said,  "with  mingled  feelings  of  despair,  of 
terror,  but  finally  of  hope  and  joy  for  thee  !  For  the 
latter  part  redeemeth  the  first :  for  does  not  the  Holy 
Book  say,  '  There  is  more  joy  over  the  sinner  that  re- 
penteth,  than  over  ninety  and  nine  just  persons  made 
perfect  ?  '  And  hast  thou  not  repented  in  the  agony  of 
a  self-imposed  humiliation,  to  thee  —  as  I  know  thee  — 
more  bitter  far  than  death  ?  And  shall  not  thy  repentance 
be  accepted  by  God  and  man ;  and  the  joy  in  heaven, 
as  it  is  on  earth,  be  proportionately  great  therefor?  " 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  417 

As  she  raised  her  eyes  above  in  the  ecstacy  of  devo- 
tional rapture,  she  seemed  to  the  gaze  of  her  worshipper 
more  divine  than  human.  But  his  soul  could  never  soar 
to  those  heights  where  hers  habitually  reposed  ;  and  the 
impression  produced  upon  his  mind  by  this  unselfish  rap- 
ture was  but  transitory. 

Ahriman  —  his  lower  nature — dragged  him  back  to 
earth  again,  and  tempted  him  to  drag  his  idol  down 
with  him.  So,  in  answer  to  the  enthusiastic  girl,  he  said : 

"I  thank  thee  for  the  hope  and  comfort  thou  hast 
given  one  sorely  in  need  of  both.  We  have  spoken 
enough  of  the  past ;  let  us  now  consider  the  present 
and  the  future.  What  thou  hast  come  here  to  tell  me, 
proves  the  necessity  of  immediate  action.  Even  now  I 
am  awaiting  the  arrival  of  a  messenger  to  summon  me 
to  the  Princess  Nezle';  and  I  hesitate  to  go,  for  danger 
—  perhaps  death  —  lurks  in  the  path  over  which  she 
would  send  me  !  " 

"  And  is  there  no  way  to  avoid  it?  "  asked  El  Warda, 
anxiously.  "  Cannot  the  consul-general  aid  us?  Better 
far  trust  him,  than  that  wicked  woman." 

"The  consul-general  has  gone,"  Daoud  answered. 
"  Else  had  Abbas  never  dared  to  seize  thy  brother. 
His  successor  is  a  man  of  feeble  mind  and  body,  who 
will  take  no  steps  to  aid  us." 

"  Then  you  think  this  evil  woman  is  our  last  hope?  " 
asked  the  girl,  tremblingly. 

"  I  d'o  !  "  responded  Daoud  ;  "  and  I  will  go  —  upon 
one  condition  only.  Promise  me,  that  if  I  come  back 
successful — if  I  save  both  Askaros  and  his  wife — that 
thou  wilt  be  mine  thenceforth  for  ever,  to  guide  my 
earthly  labors,  and  fit  my  soul  for  eternity.  Wilt  thou 
give  me  this  promise?" 

2B 


41 8  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

"  cannot!  I  cannot!"  cried  El  Warda,  wringing 
her  hands  in  despair.  "It  is  unkind,  it  is  cruel  of  you, 
Daoud,  to  ask  it  at  such  a  time  !  to  make  my  love  the 
price  of  your  action  !  If  you  would  keep  my  esteem, 
do  not  drive  a  bargain  with  me ;  hut  depend  on  my 
gratitude  afterward." 

' '  Then  will  I  stir  no  step  ! ' '  answered  the  Syrian,  sul- 
lenly ;  "  for  I  believe  I  go  to  rescue  my  rival  and  my 
enemy  :  since  thou  wilt  not  give  the  promise.  It  is  use- 
less to  urge  me  further.  I  will  not  go  !  All  that  a  man 
may  reasonably  do  for  his  sister,  will  I  do  for  thee ;  but 
I  will  not  risk  my  life  for  less  than  this  hope  I  have 
named  —  which  looks  more  shadowy  now  than  ever. ' ' 

"And  is  this  resolve  final?"  asked  El  Warda,  sud- 
denly, drying  her  tears  as  she  spoke. 

' '  As  final  as  destiny  !  ' '  was  the  cold  answer. 

"Then  hear  me!"  she  rejoined,  drawing  up  her 
form,  assuming  an  expression  of  determination  Daoud 
had  never  seen  upon  her  face  before.  "Then  hear  me. 
If  there  be  no  other  means  left  to  save  them,  but  at  the 
price  of  myself,  I  will  pay  that !  But  mark  me,  Daoud- 
ben-Youssouf,  man  selfish  to  the  core  !  Even  now  I  can- 
not lie  to  thee,  and  say  that  with  my  hand  I  will  then  give 
thee  my  heart :  nay,  nor  even  so  much  of  it  as  I  could 
have  accorded  thee  a  few  seconds  back,  ere  thou  didst 
seek  to  bargain  with  the  sister  for  the  brother's  blood  ! 
May  Sitta  Mariam  pardon  me  for  the  sin,  into  which  my 
desperation  and  thy  cruelty  drive  me  ! ' ' 

The  sullen  gloom  passed  from  the  Syrian's  brow  as 
she  spoke ;  and  the  scorn  of  her  last  words  fell  unheeded 
on  his  ear,  which  drank  in  greedily  her  promise ;  and 
he  clutched  at  it,  as  a  drowning  man  does  at  a  plank 
which  is  to  float  him  to  shore. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  419 

"And  thou  promisest !  "  he  cried.  "Swear  it  by 
Sitta  Mariam,  and  I  go  to  the  princess,  to  bring  back 
those  whom  thou  lovest  better,  I  fear,  than  thou  dost 
poor  Daoud,  whom  thou  mayest  yet  learn  to  love  as  he 
loves  thee  !  —  either  to  bring  them  back  or  never  to 
return!  " 

"  I  take  no  oaths  !  "  El  Warda  said.  "  They  are  sin- 
ful. But  I  say  to  thee  on  my  word,  which  thou  knowest 
is  sacred,  that  when  thou  shalt  return,  having  done  the 
things  thou  hast  promised,  I  will  place  my  hand  in  thine, 
and  say  unto  thee  as  Ruth  said  unto  Naomi :  '  Whither 
thou  goest,  there  will  I  go  ;  thy  country  shall  be  my 
country,  and  thy  God  my  God.  And  may  God  do  so 
unto  me  and  more,  if  aught  but  death  part  thee  and 
me."' 

"Enough!  enough!"  cried  the  Syrian,  wild  with 
joy.  "I  need  no  other  pledge  from  lips  on  which 
truth  ever  sits  enthroned.  Mine  thou  art,  or  shalt  be ; 
and  the  powers  of  earth  and  hell  shall  not  prevail 
against  me  !  ' ' 

"Beware,  rash  man  !  "  answered  the  girl;  "and  of- 
fend not  Heaven  by  such  impious  profanity,  as  to  weigh 
the  decrees  of  Providence  in  the  balance  of  thy  passion 
and  pride  !  Beware  a  judgment !  for  is  it  not  written, 
'  After  death  cometh  judgment '  ?  And  thou  art  not 
prepared  to  die.  Farewell !  I  linger  no  longer  here ; 
for  thou  hast  raised  up  a  barrier  between  us.  Hereafter 
I  either  shall  never  look  upon  thy  face  again,  or  —  sub- 
mitting to  the  doom  I  have  taken  on  my  own  head  — 
will  keep  my  promise !  " 

Then  waving  back  the  Syrian,  who  sought  to  take  her 
hand,  and  dropping  her  veil,  after  casting  a  look  of  re- 
proachful pity  on  her  companion,  she  rapidly  left  the 


42O  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

room,  with  a  sign  to  Daoud  not  to  follow  her ;  passed 
down  the  steps  and  out  of  his  house ;  and  her  slight 
figure  was  soon  lost  to  his  straining  eyes  as  she  passed 
into  the  Ezbekieh. 

"  I  have  won  her  at  last !  "  he  cried,  in  fierce  exulta- 
tion. "Mine  she  shall  be,  in  spite  of  Sheitan  and  his 
servant  Abbas  !  She  will  learn  to  love  me  soon  enough, 
when  she  sees  the  depth  of  my  devotion.  The  clouds 
of  my  life  are  over  !  now  comes  the  sunshine.  And 
how  will  I  bask  in  its  beams — all  the  brighter  for  past 
eclipse ! ' ' 

As  he  raved  thus,  in  the  first  intoxication  of  his  suc- 
cess, a  shadow  fell  upon  him,  as  a  dark  body  passed  be- 
tween him  and  the  window,  through  which  the  sunlight 
streamed.  He  looked  up,  and  saw  the  eunuch  of  the 
Khanum,  who  spoke  no  word,  but  saluted  in  silence, 
and  pointed  to  the  door. 

"  I  am  ready  !  "  cried  the  Syrian,  responding  to  the 
mute  appeal.  "Lead  on,  I  follow." 

The  black  turned,  and  passed  down  the  steps.  Sud- 
denly he  stopped  as  he  reached  the  door,  and  turning 
to  the  young  man,  with  a  softened  and  more  human  ex- 
pression lighting  up  his  face  than  Daoud  had  seen  on  it 
before,  said : 

"  Life  is  sweet  to  the  young.  The  Khanum  values  not 
the  lives  of  men.  Thy  mission  I  can  see  means  danger — 
perhaps  death.  Be  warned  in  time,  and  go  not !  Small 
cause  have  I  to  pity  men  ;  but  thou  art  a  boy,  and  I  do 
pity  thee.  Once  in  the  Khanum' s  hands,  thy  term  of 
being  will  be  as  brief  as  the  ripened  fruit  on  yonder  date- 
tree  lasts.  Whether  she  sends  for  thee  in  love  or  hate ; 
to  make  a  favorite  or  a  tool  of  thee,  it  will  be  the  same. 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  421 

Let  me  then  return  alone,  and  Allah  will  find  one  good 
record  made  for  me  in  the  Book  of  Life  !  " 

Surprise  kept  the  Syrian  mute  a  second  :  but  even  this 
unexpected  interposition  did  not  shake  his  resolve,  which 
was  now  as  adamant. 

"I  thank  thee  from  my  heart  for  thy  warning,"  he 
said.  "  But  go  I  must ;  I  have  no  choice  —  lead  on  !  " 

The  eunuch  shook  his  head,  but  said  no  more.  Both 
mounted  fleet  horses  ready  for  them,  and  within  a  few 
minutes  Daoud-ben-Youssouf  stood  a  second  time  in  the 
presence  of  the  Princess  Nezle  Khanum. 

"  The  hour  is  come,  and  awaits  only  the  man  ! "  she 
said.  "Art  thou  still  willing  to  obey  my  orders,  though 
they  lead  to  what  I  said  when  last  I  saw  thee  ? ' ' 

"  Great  Khanum,  I  am  !  "  the  Syrian  answered,  calmly. 

" Peki !  behold  thy  companion." 

She  clapped  her  hands,  and  a  young-looking  but  pow- 
erful Georgian,  with  fair  complexion,  and  blue  eyes, 
magnificently  attired  in  the  gorgeous  costume  of  a  Mame- 
luke, entered  the  room  and  prostrated  himself  before  the 
princess. 

"Ali,  this  is  thy  companion!"  she  said  to  him  in 
Turkish.  "  Him  thou  art  to  obey  in  all  things,  even  of 
life  and  death.  Dost  thou  comprehend  ?  For  if  thou 
failest,  my  ire  will  consume  thee  !  " 

"Be  chesum  /"  (On  my  eyes  be  it !)  was  the  response, 
with  another  reverence. 

"Come  thou  with  me,"  she  said  to  the  Syrian;  "I 
will  give  thee  thine  instructions.  On  thine  own  courage 
must  depend  the  rest." 

Half  an  hour  later,  Daoud-ben-Youssouf,  clad  in  a 
rich  costume,  similar  to  that  worn  by  the  Georgian,  and 
so  thoroughly  disguised,  his  most  intimate  friend  would 
36 


422  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

not  have  known  him,  was  mounted  on  a  dromedary,  and 
accompanying  the  eunuch  and  the  Georgian  Mameluke, 
Ali,  toward  the  Bab-el-Nazr,  whence  they  all  passed  out 
upon  the  desert. 

But  as  she  dismissed  him,  Nezle  had  held  up  her  finger 
warningly  to  the  Syrian,  and  said  : 

"  Recollect  all  my  instructions,  and  fulfil  them  to  the 
letter  !  And  remember,"  she  added,  with  an  ugly  look 
of  meaning  in  her  eyes;  "  remember  that  thou  returnest 
to  me  —  alone  ! ' ' 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII. 

THE    HAWK    STRIKES    THE    VULTURE. 

AT  the  Abassieh  once  more.  The  terrified  girl,  now 
almost  hopeless  of  succor  from  without,  and  doubt- 
ing the  promises  of  the  wild  woman  whom  she  con- 
sidered half  insane,  watched  and  waited,  in  an  agony  of 
apprehension,  the  renewed  importunities  of  Abbas. 

No  conversation  passed  between  her  and  the  French- 
woman, who  seemed  plunged  in  gloomy  reverie,  and 
watching  from  the  window,  gazed  out  into  the  desert 
view.  At  length  she  uttered  an  exclamation,  and  Edith, 
looking  up  suddenly,  saw  three  dromedaries,  upon  which 
were  mounted  one  eunuch  and  two  richly-clad  Mame- 
lukes, rapidly  approaching  the  palace. 

The  woman  made  no  remark,  but  passed  from  the 
room  and  glided  to  the  hareem  gate,  at  which  she  met 
the  eunuch  dismounting.  Not  a  word  was  exchanged 
between  them ;  he  only  pointed  to  the  smaller  and  darker 
of  his  two  companions,  who  showed  her  a  ring  he  wore 
upon  his  finger,  and  said  briefly:  "At  nine  to-night,  the 
draught." 

The  woman  nodded  her  head  intelligently,  and  re- 
turned as  silently  and  as  stealthily  as  she  had  come ;  and 

423 


424  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

the  eunuch,  with  his  two  companions,  passed  through 
the  courtyard  to  the  grand  entrance  of  the  palace. 

The  evening  darkened  into  night,  and  Edith  was  not 
again  disturbed  by  Abbas,  who  had  summoned  the 
Frenchwoman,  and  had  a  long  conversation  with  her, 
ending  by  placing  in  her  hand  a  heavy  purse  of  gold. 
The  final  word  of  the  woman  was  "  Bukara ! "  (to- 
morrow !)  and  the  satisfied  leer  on  the  face  of  the  Vice- 
roy told  that  the  promise,  whatever  it  might  be,  was 
agreeable  to  him. 

Nevertheless,  his  good -humor  did  not  last  long,  and 
he  seemed  to  be  in  a  peculiarly  fitful  and  excited  mood 
that  evening ;  and  as  it  wore  on  he  became  more 
irritable.  The  unhappy  attendants  on  his  person  fared 
badly  j  for  not  only  did  he  lavish  upon  them  all  the 
terms  of  opprobrium  of  which  he  was  such  a  master,  but 
he  spared  not  also  blows,  kicks,  and  other  tangible 
proofs  of  his  displeasure.  Suddenly  a  thought  seemed 
to  strike  him.  He  summoned  Mahmoud  Bey,  and  in- 
quired if  he  had  been  rightly  informed  that  the  Princess 
Nezle  had  sent*  the  Mamelukes  she  had  promised,  and 
on  his  reply  being  affirmative,  ordered  them  into  his 
presence. 

The  Mamelukes  entered,  and  Abbas  looked  at  them 
both  with  an  approving  eye,  especially  at  the  fair  Geor- 
gian, who,  in  his  face,  was  more  like  a  beautiful  girl 
than  a  man,  though  heavy  and  clumsy  of  figure.  The 
Circassian  did  not  seem  to  please  him  so  much,  though 
the  ample  folds  of  the  dress  concealed  the  spare  figure, 
and  gave  it  that  roundness  so  pleasing  to  the  Oriental, 
who,  in  man  or  woman,  hates  leanness.  Moreover,  the 
face  of  the  darker  boy,  into  which  he  stared  hard, 
seemed  to  suggest  some  memory,  unpleasant  though 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  425 

puzzling,  which  he  could  not  recall.  He  turned  to 
Mahmoud  Bey  and  asked  : 

"  Did  the  eunuch  tell  thee  they  were  both  from  Con- 
stantinople lately,  and  were  both  Mamelukes?" 

"Effendina,  he  did." 

"  Something  strikes  me  as  familiar  in  that  face,  or  as 
though  I  had  seen  it  before ;  but  I  suppose  it  must  be 
fancy.  I  like  the  looks  of  both  these  boys.  They  will 
attend  me  more  pleasantly  than  these  pigs  and  #pes,  that 
have  been  trying  my  temper  by  their  awkwardness  and 
stupidity  all  the  evening.  Send  away  all  the  others,  and 
let  these  two  stay.  I  will  take  a  cup  of  coffee,  and  then 
repose,  for  I  am  weary ;  and  charge  my  people,  on  no 
pretext,  even  though  Cairo  should  be  on  fire,  to  waken 
me  before  I  call.  Now  go,  all  of  you." 

His  orders  were  obeyed. 

Glancing  his  eye  over  the  faces  and  the  forms  of  the 
Mamelukes,  who  stood  in  humble  attitude  before  him, 
again  the  puzzled  expression  came  over  his  countenance, 
and  he  sharply  gave  the  command,  in  Arabic,  to  move 
the  pillows  of  his  divan. 

Both  looked  up  and  started  forward,  but  neither 
obeyed,  the  countenances  of  both  expressing  inquiry,  as 
though  they  had  heard  tire  words  but  did  not  compre- 
hend the  language  in  which  he  spoke.  The  test  seemed 
to  satisfy  the  suspicious  tyrant,  who  muttered  to  himself: 

"  I  think  I  must  be  fanciful  this  evening;  though  it  is 
not  my  wont;  I  seldom  have  felt  so  strongly  the  pre- 
sentiment of  danger,  or  evil.  I  suppose  my  double  bad 
luck  has  made  me  so.  To  quarrel  first  with  Nezle,  and 
then  with  that  little  fiend  of  an  Ingleez !  Urn  !  as  for 
Nezle,  she  little  dreams  she  will  soon  follow  that  father 
of  hers  she  is  so  fond  of !  The  Kislar-Aga  charges  him- 
36* 


426  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

self  with  that,  through  some  of  his  people  !  and  for  the 
Ingleez,  we  shall  settle  that  to-morrow.  Call  you  this 
coffee,  dog !  "  and  he  dashed  two-thirds  of  the  fluid  into 
face  of  the  trembling  slave  who  had  brought  it  from  the 
hareem  door.  "Thy  vile  breath  hath  poisoned  it,  for  it 
is  bitter  as  gall ;  and  I  took  only  one  mouthful ! ' ' 

Even  as  he  spoke  these  last  words,  a  quick  inscrutable 
expression  —  like  a  flash  of  lightning  across  the  dark 
storm-cloud  —  flashed  over  the  dusky  face  of  the  smaller 
Mameluke.  Then  it  instantly  grew  still  and  expression- 
less again. 

Abbas  hurled  the  cup  and  heavy  chased  fingan  at  the 
head  of  the  slave,  and  throwing  himself  back  on  the 
divan,  called,  in  Turkish,  to  the  Mamelukes : 

"  Keep  off  the  flies  and  watch  my  slumbers." 

Then  he  settled  himself  to  sleep. 

As  he  had  commanded,  the  silence  and  stillness  of 
death  reigned  throughout  the  palace ;  and  in  the  chamber 
'no  sound  disturbed  the  hush,  save  the  droning  of  the 
flies,  the  sighing  of  the  Desert  wind  without,  and  the 
heavy  breathing  of  the  sleeper.  Abbas  was  a  gross,  fleshy 
man,  and  his  slumbers  were  sound,  as  the  heavy,  stertor- 
ous breathing  indicated. 

The  obsequious  slaves  stood  at  his  head  and  feet  waving 
palm  branches  to  keep  off  the  intrusive  flies,  which,  less 
obedient  than  man,  respected  the  Viceroy  as  little  as  the 
common  Fellah,  and  rudely  broke  in  upon  his  slumbers. 

The  Circassian  glided  to  the  side  of  the  Georgian, 
where  he  stood  at  the  head  of  the  divan,  showed  him  a 
signet-ring,  and  whispered  in  his  ear.  The  face  of  the 
Georgian  showed  repugnance  —  even  horror,  at  the  com- 
munication made  him  by  his  companion,  who  marked  it, 
and  whispered  again  even  more  eagerly  than  before. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  427 

At  the  second  whisper,  doubt  and  hesitation  seemed 
to  pass  away  from  the  Georgian's  fair  face,  which  settled 
into  a  kind  of  dogged  resolve.  He  nodded  his  head 
thrice  in  assent ;  and  from  that  moment  stood  watching 
his  companion's  every  movement  and  gesture,  as  though 
ready  to  imitate  it. 

Utterly  unconscious  of  this  by-play — which  would  have 
excited  his  waking  suspicions  to  the  extent  of  bowstringing 
both  Mamelukes  —  the  Viceroy  slept  on.  But  he  slept 
not  tranquilly,  for  his  rest  seemed  broken  and  fitful,  and 
he  started  often  and  muttered  in  his  sleep — like  one  whose 
brain  is  busy  weaving  those  strange  incongruous  medlies 
of  fact  and  fancy  —  of  fragments  of  the  real  past  blended 
with  wild  impossibilities  —  which  come  through  the  Gate 
of  Horn  to  wander  through  the  avenues  of  the  human 
brain,  restlessly  traversing  them,  while  memory  and  will 
seem  both  to  have  deserted  the  body,  as  though  in  a  par- 
tial death. 

The  coffee  Abbas  Pasha  had  sipped  must  have  contained 
some  powerful  narcotic ;  for,  little  as  he  had  taken,  his 
slumbers  did  not  resemble  ordinary  sleep,  even  in  its 
restlessness.  He  seemed  more  in  the  somnambulistic 
than  in  the  natural  state  ;  for  occasionally  his  eyes  would 
unclose,  and  after  staring  wildly  round — with  no  specu- 
lation in  their  dull  orbs  —  would  close  heavily  again.  In 
those  intervals  it  would  seem  as  though  two  powers  were 
contending  for  the  mastery  of  the  sleeping  man ;  one,  his 
will,  which  seemed  wrestling  to  shake  off  the  fetters  of 
the  drowsy  languor  which  held  him ;  the  other,  an  ex- 
ternal power,  too  potent  for  that  will  to  resist. 

In  fact  the  Viceroy  resembled  one  on  whom  the  peculiar 
properties  of  that  strange  drug,  haschisch,  were  at  work  ; 
though  in  its  stupefying  and  sedative,  not  its  exciting 


428  AS  A' A  A' OS    CASSIS. 

influences ;  but  as  the  Viceroy  never  partook  of  that 
drug,  these  phenomena  were  all  the  more  strange  in  his 
case. 

At  length  the  two  watchers  by  his  divan  observed  that 
his  breathing  grew  more  regular,  the  fitful  starts  less  fre- 
quent, and  his  slumber  more  natural,  while  the  strange  ex- 
pression of  his  face  relaxed,  and  the  second  stage  of  the 
hashisch  drug  manifested  itself.  This  stage  is  that  of 
mental  excitement,  coupled  with  bodily  repose,  when  the 
enfranchised  mind  seems  to  soar  away  from  its  fleshy 
clogs,  and  disport  itself  at  will  in  the  regions  of  imagina- 
tion ;  when  the  closed  eyes  see  stranger  things  than  hu- 
man vision  ever  saw,  even  with  the  aid  of  the  magic  glass 
of  fancy. 

And  as  he  lay  sleeping  there,  watched  by  those  two 
faithful  Mamelukes,  sent  by  his  kinswoman  to  guard  his 
slumbers  and  minister  to  his  wishes,  this  was  the  dream 
of  Abbas  Pasha : 

He  dreamed  that  he  had  passed  the  portals  of  his 
earthly  kingdom,  and  ushered  by  a  shape  that  bore  a 
strange  resemblance  to  the  Princess  Nezle,  but  supplied 
witli  long  black  wings,  and  with  a  strange  lurid  glow  like 
a  halo  round  her  brow,  had  passed  upon  the  bridge  of 
Al  Sirat,  which  spans  the  fiery  gulf  into  which  'all  un- 
believers fall.  Over  the  bridge  he  passed  into  a  brighter 
world,  lit  up  however  by  no  soft  glow,  but  illuminated 
by  a  lurid  glare,  like  in  intensity,  but  a  thousand  times 
more  dazzling  than  that  which  encircled  the  brow  of  his 
guide.  As  he  passed  over  the  bridge,  no  wider  than  the 
edge  of  a  scimetar,  and  looked  down  into  the  fiery  flood 
beneath,  he  saw  there  the  faces  of  all  his  enemies  he  had 
done  to  death  by  rapid  or  slow  extinction ;  all  of  whom 
stretched  up  their  arms,  wildly  striving  to  clutch  him  and 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  429 

drag  him  down  among  them,  some  almost  reaching  his 
robes,  then  ever  falling  back  again — just  as  he  shrunk 
from  the  touch,  shivering  with  fear  —  hunted  down  again 
by  Monkir  and  Nakir,  the  guardians  of  that  pit  of  woe  ! 

Prominent  among  them  he  recognized  the  face  of  old 
Askaros,  his  hoary  beard  tinged  with  the  lurid  red  of  the 
Lake  of  Fire ;  and  on  the  extreme  bank,  in  the  Blessed 
Region  of  the  Faithful,  at  the  other  end  of  the  bridge, 
stood  the  fair  face  and  tempting  form  of  an  houri,  clad 
in  her  green  ro"bes,  and  beckoning  him  on  the  enjoy- 
ments of  that  paradise,  which  the  Koran  promises  to  all 
true  believers.  As  he  gazed  eagerly  upon  her,  the  face 
changed  suddenly  to  that  of  the  American  girl,  who  had 
so  captivated  his  worn-out  senses.  Then  Abbas  strove  to 
rush  past  his  guide  to  clasp  her  in  his  arms ;  but  that 
guide  turned  suddenly  upon  him,  presenting  no  longer 
the  features  of  Nezle  Khanum,  but  those  of  the  Syrian 
he  had  caused  to  be  so  cruelly  scourged ;  then  seized  him, 
clasped  his  arms  tightly  around  his  neck  in  a  stifling  em- 
brace, and  strove  to  hurl  him  from  the  bridge  into  the 
fiery  pit  below.  Close-locked  in  that  dread  embrace,  the 
stifling  heat  from  below  seemed  rising  up  to  scorch  and 
suffocate  him. 

With  that  sensation  of  falling  down  —  down  —  down 
from  an  immeasurable  height  into  a  fathomless  abyss, 
Abbas  Pasha  awoke. 

But  he  awoke  from  the  vision  of  imaginary  peril  into 
the  consciousness  of  a  more  dreadful  reality  —  to  find 
himself  really  suffocating  under  the  cushion  of  his  divan, 
pressed  firmly  down  over  his  face,  while  strong  hands 
bound  his  legs  together,  as  though  in  fetters  of  iron  ! 

He  awoke  at  once  to  the  full  possession  of  his  facul- 
ties, sharpened  by  the  presence  of  the  death  so  immi- 


43O  A  S KA  R  OS    KA  S S  J S. 

nent :  for  with  the  lightning-like  rapidity  of  mental  ac- 
tion in  such  emergencies,  there  flashed  through  his  mind 
full  conviction  of  the  treachery  of  Nezle,  and  of  her  fell 
design  in  sending  the  Mamelukes — now  his  only  guar- 
dians in  that  chamber. 

With  that  conviction  came  the  strength  of  despair, 
supplying  courage  to  the  craven  heart,  ever  cowardly  as 
it  was  cruel ;  awakening  in  this  dire  extremity  the  slum- 
bering wild-beast  instinct  of  self-preservation,  or  signal 
vengeance  upon  his  murderers.  He  felt  the  pressure 
of  the  hands  that  held  the  cushion  down  upon  his  face 
to  the  verge  of  suffocation ;  he  felt  the  iron  grasp  of  the 
other  upon  his  legs,  as  they  were  stretched  out  upon  the 
divan  ;  and  he  felt,  too,  that  a  single  minute  more  of  that 
pressure,  and  his  laboring  lungs  would  cease  to  breathe. 

Summoning  the  last  energies  of  his  powerful  frame 
into  one  mighty  effort,  Abbas  suddenly  wrenched  his 
head  free  from  the  cushion  held  by  those  deadly  hands, 
and,  drawing  up  his  lower  limbs  convulsively,  struck  his 
assailant  there  full  in  the  chest,  relaxing  his  grip  and  roll- 
ing him  backward  upoi.  the  floor,  so  violent  and  unex- 
pected was  the  sudden  blow.  Then,  springing  furiously 
from  the  divan,  purple  in  face,  gasping  for  breath,  his 
jewelled  tarbouche  fallen  from  his  shaven  head,  and  his 
rich  dress  torn  and  tumbled,  with  wild-rolling,  blood- 
shot eyes,  and  haggard  face  reflecting  mingled  rage 
and  fear,  Abbas  stood  up  glaring  upon  his  destined  mur- 
derers. 

Ere  his  opened  lips  could  utter  the  cry  to  summon  his 
guards,  crouching  as  the  wild  cat  crouches,  the  slighter 
and  darker  of  his  two  Mamelukes  had  bounded  at  his 
throat,  and  he  felt  the  lean,  strong  fingers,  like  the  claws 
of  that  savage  beast,  tearing  and  lacerating  it.  That 


ASKAROS    KASSrS.  431 

fieice,  fell  pressure  prevented  outcry,  as  with  the  vio- 
lence of  the  assault,  assailant  and  assailed  rolled  over 
on  the  floor,  the  only  spectator,  petrified  into  stone, 
standing  a  mute  and  motionless  witness  of  that  struggle 
for  life  and  death  between  those  two,  clutching  and  tear- 
ing each  other  like  savage  beasts  in  a  death-grapple. 

The  contest  was  short  as  fierce.  Though  he  could 
not  shake  off  that  desperate  grasp  which  almost  throttled 
him  and  partly  paralyzed  his  powers,  the  greater  weight 
and  strength  of  Abbas  soon  told  against  his  slight  assail- 
ant. The  Viceroy  was  over  his  enemy,  his  knee  on  his 
chest  striving  to  crush  it  in,  and  cause  him  to  relinquish 
his  grasp  upon  the  throat,  to  which  he  still  clung  with 
the  tenacity  of  a  wild  cat,  as  the  staring  eyes  of  his  ad- 
versary attested. 

The  strength  and  endurance  of  the  Circassian  were 
evidently  failing  fast  under  the  superior  strength  of  his 
enemy,  and  casting  his  despairing  eyes  around,  wildly, 
in  search  of  help  in  this  extremity,  they  fell  upon  the 
Georgian,  who  stood  with  stupid,  staring  gaze  fixed  upon 
the  conflict,  as  though  it  concerned  him  not.  A  last 
hope  dawned  upon  the  whirling,  dizzy  brain  of  the  Cir- 
cassian, and  tightening  his  failing  clutch  upon  his  ene- 
my's throat,  he  gasped  out: 

"  Ali !  for  your  life  and  mine,  use  the  cord  !  " 

As  he  spoke  he  could  feel  the  vengeful  grip  of  the 
Viceroy  tighten  upon  him,  the  heavy  knee  crush  down 
more  heavily  upon  his  laboring  chest,  as  the  fierce,  dull 
eyes  gleamed  recognition  and  vengeance  on  him,  within 
two  feet  of  his  own.  But  the  same  instant  he  heard  the 
whizzing  sound  of  the  cord  as  it  swept  through  the  air, 
felt  the  thrill  of  sudden  relief  as  the  heavy  pressure  on 
his  chest  was  removed  —  rather  heard  than  saw  the  body 


432  AS  KAR  OS    K  ASS  IS. 

of  Abbas  dragged  backward  to  the  floor — as  the  Georgian 
tugged  at  the  tightening  slip-knot  round  his  master's  neck, 
with  all  the  energy  of  terror  and  despair. 

The  second  after,  sick,  dizzy,  half-fainting  as  he  was 
— -hate  supplying  the  place  of  strength  —  the  Circassian 
had  risen  to  his  feet  —  had  seized  again  the  fatal  cushion, 
and  —  while  the  Georgian  still  strained  at  the  ever  tight- 
ening noose,  till  the  tongue  of  the  victim  protruded  — 
had  thrown  himself,  with  the  cushion  under  him,  upon 
the  face  of  the  writhing  and  struggling  thing  upon  the 
floor. 

It  was  over  !  The  desperate  and  convulsive  struggles 
of  the  form  grew  fainter,  then  spasmodic  —  sunk  into  a 
mere  twitching  of  the  limbs  !  Then,  with  a  convulsive 
shudder,  it  ceased,  and  all  was  still !  The  mission  of  the 
Mamelukes  of  the  Princess  Nezle  Khanum  was  per- 
formed !  They  carefully  laid  him  again  upon  the  divan, 
replacing  the  jewelled  tarbouche,  smoothing  the  tumbled 
garments,  and  arranging  the  limbs  in  the  attitude  of  one 
who  slumbered. 

Naught  remained  there  upon  the  divan  but  the  clay  of 
him  who  was  erewhile  King  of  Egypt ;  the  immortal  part 
had  gone  to  its  judgment,  and  the  meanest  of  Abbas 
Pasha's  slaves  could  with  impunity  now  spit  on  what  was 
left  of  their  dreaded  master. 

Strange  and  awful  change,  whether  it  happen  to  the 
leper  or  the  king  !  when  God's  breath  is  withdrawn  from 
the  creation  of  His  hands. 

Mystery  ever  recurring  in  death  as  in  birth  !  When 
shall  the  awful  secret  ever  be  fathomed  by  the  finite  in- 
telligence of  man,  striving  ever  to  grasp  the  infinite?  and 
ever  falling  back  into  darker  depths  after  each  presump- 
tuous effort ! 


AS  A' AH  OS    A' ASS  IS. 


433 


The  dream  of  Abbas  Pasha  had  found  its  fulfilment. 
So  had  the  horoscope ;  and  as  the  two  Mamelukes  con- 
sulted together  in  whispers,  the  wild  haggard  face  of  a 
woman  peered  in  upon  the  completed  work,  and  the  lips 
muttered  : 

' '  Said  I  not  that  the  stars  lied  not !  neither  did  the 
Khanum  !  ' ' 

37  2C 


CHAPTER   XXXIX. 

THE    DEAD    MAN'S    RIDE. 

ELFY  BEY,  Governor  of  Cairo,  sat  in  the  citadel  at 
midnight,  and  there  was  trouble  on  his  brow.     Be- 
fore him  stood  the  Kislar  Aga,  who  had  come  in  hot  haste 
from  the  Abassieh  at  that  unusual  hour,  and  long  and 
earnest  had  been  the  consultation  between  the  two. 

So  eccentric  and  unaccountable  are  the  movements  of 
Eastern  functionaries,  that  the  household  of  Elfy  Bey 
were  not  astonished  when  orders  were  given  at  that  hour 
for  an  escort  to  accompany  the  Kislar  Aga  and  himself 
back  to  the  Abassieh  ;  and  the  two,  followed  by  a  fitting 
retinue, were  soon  on  their  way  to  the  Desert  palace. 

Arriving  there,  the  Kislar  Aga  was  told,  in  reply  to  his 
question,  that  his  Highness  was  still  sleeping,  and  they 
dared  not  disturb  him,  so  strict  had  been  his  orders. 
Would  the  Kislar  Aga,  who  was  so  great  a  favorite,  take 
the  responsibility  of  doing  so  ?  assuming  as  a  reason  the 
visit  of  the  Governor  of  Cairo,  who  doubtless  came  on 
business. 

"Have  the  Mamelukes  yet  come  out?"  asked  the 
Kislar  Aga. 

"No;  no  one  has  seen  them  since  Effendina  sent 
away  all  the  rest  of  his  attendants." 

434 


A  SKA  R  OS    KASSIS.  435 

"Then  all  is  as  it  should  be,"  responded  the  officer. 
"  Has  not  his  Highness  the  privilege  of  sleeping  as  long 
as  he  pleases,  without  being  annoyed  by  your  curiosity? 
Go  to  bed,  all  of  you ;  I,  myself,  will  call  him  in  the 
morning.  Let  no  one,  as  he  values  his  tongue  or  his 
ears,  intrude  until  I  give  the  permission  !  Excellency," 
he  added,  turning  to  the  Governor,  "it  grieves  me  that 
I  cannot  obtain  for  you  an  interview  with  his  Highness ; 
but  you  see  the  state  of  the  case,  and  will  pardon  my 
waiting  till  sunrise,  when  he  will  doubtless  accompany 
you  back  to  Cairo.  For  the  present,  permit  me  to  show 
you  your  apartments.  All  is  safe,"  he  continued,  in  u 
whisper.  "These  fools  suspect  nothing.  In  the  morn- 
ing you  will  take  him  to  Cairo ;  we  will  send  for  El 
Hami,  and  the  rest  is  easy." 

" Peki?"  answered  Elfy  Bey;  "what  you  say  has  in 
it  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent.  I  will  do  this.  The  faith 
I  pledged  to  the  living  I  will  keep  to  the  dead  !  Rely 
on  me." 

The  eunuch  nodded  approving  assent,  and  the  two 
separated. 

Scarcely  had  they  gone,  however,  when  the  face  of  a 
woman,  full  of  triumph  and  contempt,  glared  up  from 
behind  the  same  curtain,  where  she  had  heard  the  reve- 
lation of  Abbas  to  the  Kislar  Aga. 

"  Is  that  your  game?  "  she  muttered.  "  Then  shall  it 
be  frustrated.  I  shall  be  before  you,  and  the  friends  of 
Said  shall  know  what  plot  you  are  planning  !  What  a 
good-looking  man  Elfy  Bey  is  !  Pity  he  should  be  such 
an  ass  !  " 

So  saying,  and  chuckling  to  herself,  the  woman  disap- 
peared also. 


ASKAKOS    KASSIS. 

The  next  morning  there  started  at  sunrise  from  the 
Abassieh  the  strangest  cavalcade  that  probably  ever  went 
forth  from  palace-gates  since  the  Cid  Campeador  took 
his  ghastly  ride — a  dead  man  strapped  to  his  saddle, 
with  spear  fastened  to  his  stiff  right  hand  —  in  advance 
of  the  Christian  force,  which  went  forth  to  do  battle  with 
the  Paynim  foe. 

For  the  splendid  state  carriages  of  the  Viceroy,  with 
all  the  pride  and  pomp  of  place,  were  drawn  up  outside 
the  palace-gates ;  and  a  retinue  of  two  hundred  cavalry, 
glittering  in  gorgeous  array,  were  there  as  a  guard  ;  the 
drums  beat,  the  banners  flew  and  the  trumpets  brayed, 
as  Elfy  Bey,  Governor  of  Cairo,  and  the  Kislar  Aga  — 
one  on  each  side  —  assisted  his  Highness,  Abbas  Pasha, 
Viceroy  of  Egypt,  into  his  carriage  at  the  private  postern 
door,  which  was  but  one  stride  from  the  carriage-step. 

The  coachman  and  Syces  were  disposed  to  think  the 
Viceroy  ill,  for,  instead  of  pushing  away  impatiently  those 
who  sought  to  assist  him,  he  allowed  himself  to  be  almost 
lifted  into  the  carriage,  into  which  Elfy  Bey  got  also, 
taking  the  front  seat.  Then  the  whole  cortege  wound  at 
full  speed  over  the  Desert  plain,  taking  the  road  to  Cairo. 

What  were  the  thoughts  and  emotions  of  Elfy  Bey 
during  that  ghastly  ride,  seated  in  front  of  the  dead  man 
—  that  mockery  of  a  monarch  —  can  never  be  known; 
for  he  himself  never  confided  to  living  man  the  reflec- 
tions that  must  have  crowded  thick  upon  him  at  the  strange 
farce,  or  melodrama,  in  which  he  was  taking  such  active 
part. 

On  the  cortege  swept,  the  living  Governor  supporting 
with  his  knee  in  front,  in  the  close  carriage,  the  dead 
body  of  his  late  master,  stark,  stiff,  and  rigid  —  now 
leaning  back  against  the  luxurious  cushions,  now  swaying 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  437 

forward  as  any  impediment  jolted  them,  until  it  almost 
fell  into  the  arms  of  the  faithful  adherent. 

Elfy  Bey  could  not  look  out  upon  the  surrounding 
prospect  —  for  even  the  bare  desert  would  have  been  a 
more  pleasing  object  to  survey  than  the  hideous  thing 
before  him  —  for  the  blinds  of  the  carriage  were  closed, 
to  avoid  detection.  He  could  not  look  up,  for  there, 
with  lids  opened  wide  upon  him,  in  a  glazed  stare  of 
mortal  agony  and  terror,  were  the  protruding  eyeballs 
starting  from  the  livid  and  flaccid  face  of  what  was  Abbas 
Pasha. 

And  outside,  as  though  in  mockery  of  the  cold  corpse 
within,  and  as  if  to  insult  the  dull  ear  of  Death,  jingled 
the  sabres  of  the  guards  in  their  rich  uniforms ;  blazed 
the  gilt  panellings  of  the  coaches;  and — as  they  wound 
through  the  streets  of  Cairo  to  the  citadel  —  rung  the 
vivas  and  plaudits  of  the  politic  mob,  to  propitiate  the 
Thing  they  still  thought  their  living  Tyrant ! 

At  seeing  the  closed  carriage  and  the  evident  precau- 
tions taken  to  avoid  public  scrutiny,  many  of  the  old 
gossips  shook  their  heads,  and  said  the  Viceroy  must  be 
ill,  or  in  a  very  bad  humor. 

"  We  shall  hear  something  soon,"  they  said;  and  this 
belief  became  more  general  when,  shortly  after  reaching 
the  citadel,  its  guns  were  pointed  to  cover  and  command 
the  city,  and  unusual  activity  prevailed  in  the  garrison. 

Then  by  mid-day  a  rumor,  creeping  like  the  wind,  as 
noiselessly  and  as  suddenly,  no  man  knowing  whence  it 
came  nor  how  it  went,  swept  over  the  city  of  Cairo,  that 
a  dead  and  not  a  living  Viceroy  had  been  brought  by  the 
Governor,  Elfy  Bey,  that  morning  into  the  citadel ;  that 
El  Hami  was  to  be  proclaimed  Viceroy  instead  of  Said, 
37* 


ASKAROS    K  ASS  IS, 

the  legitimate  successor ;  with  a  general  massacre  of  the 
Christians  to  inaugurate  these  measures. 

Great  was  the  alarm  at  these  strange  outgivings,  and 
men  looked  fearfully  in  each  other's  faces  for  contradic- 
tion or  confirmation  of  them,  and  crept  quietly  home- 
ward to  be  out  of  harm's  way.  Therefore,  the  coffee- 
shops  and  places  of  public  resort  were  almost  empty ; 
and  the  Ezbekieh,  instead  of  its  usual  noise  and  anima- 
tion, presented  a  look  of  blank  desolation,  such  as  it 
wore  in  seasons  of  the  plague,  when  people  feared  the 
contact  of  each  other. 

The  rumors  however  grew  in  consistency  and  became 
more  positive  as  evening  wore  on;  so  that  by  nightfall 
some  pretended  to  give  the  particulars  of  the  death  of 
Abbas;  which  of  course  were  very  wide  of  the  truth. 
The  general  impression  was  he  had  died  by  poison,  in 
vengeance  for  great  cruelties  inflicted  on  some  of  his 
slaves ;  others  as  confidently  asserting  that  he  had  died 
of  apoplexy. 

The  consul-general,  who  had  befriended  Askaros,  and 
who  had  not  left  on  his  conge — as  was  generally  supposed, 
and  even  believed  by  Abbas  himself — had  that  day  come 
up  to  Cairo.  He  was  resting  after  the  fatigues  of  his 
journey  from  Alexandria,  and  listening  with  a  half- 
amused  expression  of  countenance  to  the  wild  stories  his 
excited  subordinates  were  pouring  into  his  ears,  touching 
the  death  of  Abbas,  the  dead  man's  ride,  and  the  alarm- 
ing intentions  of  Elfy  Bey,  who  meditated  the  massacre 
of  all  Christians  —  native  and  foreign — at  Cairo,  when 
two  persons  were  announced  as  demanding  immediate 
audience. 

"Let  them  come  in,"  was  the  order;  and  two  men 
entered  —  one  a  black,  clad  as  a  servant;  the  other  white, 


ASA'AROS    KASS1S.  439 

but  covered  face  and  person  by  a  large  coarse  abba,  or 
cloak,  such  as  is  worn  by  the  common  people.  Both 
looked  dirty,  and  the  face  of  the  black  had  that  ashy  hue 
indicating  recent  illness.  He  stepped  up  to  the  consul- 
general  and  prayed  a  private  interview,  as  he  and  his 
friend  had  matters  of  grave  importance  to  communicate 
to  his  ear  alone. 

The  curious  subordinates  and  attendants  having  un- 
willingly retired,  the  Nubian  stepped  back  and  his  com- 
panion came  forward  —  dropping  the  cloak  that  had 
hitherto  concealed  his  person  and  face,  and  revealing  to 
the  gaze  of  the  astonished  consul-general  the  features  of 
Askaros  Kassis,  though  wan  and  worn  from  illness,  and 
with  suffering  stamped  upon  them.  From  him  he  learned 
that  Ferraj,  who  had  long  been  an  inmate  of  the  citadel, 
had  made  himself  so  popular  with  the  soldiers,  that  he 
had  been  allowed  every  liberty  save  that  of  egress.  He 
had  seen  the  entry  of  his  master  again  into  captivity,  and 
had  been  allowed  to  attend  upon  him,  without  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  Governor.  That  evening  Ferraj  had  come 
in  a  great  state  of  excitement,  announced  the  fact  of  a 
dead,  instead  of  a  living  Viceroy  having  been  brought 
down  from  the  Abassieh  by  Elfy  Bey,  and  that  the  Gov- 
ernor and  Kislar  Aga — after  consultation  with  some  of  the 
most  trusted  friends  of  Abbas  —  had  determined  to  pro- 
claim El  Hami,  Viceroy,  instead  of  Said,  the  regular 
successor,  and  had  already  sent  a  confidential  messenger 
to  summon  the  youth,  who  was  unfortunately  at  Constan- 
tinople —  not  in  Egypt.  Ferraj  had  further  declared  that 
so  great  was  the  confusion  in  the  citadel,  when  the  news 
leaked  out,  that  they  could  escape  by  disguising  them- 
selves. 

This  they  did  ;   and  had   now  come  to  give  this  news 


440  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

to  their  best  friend,  and  to  ask  tidings  of  the  lost 
Edith. 

The  consul-general  was  much  struck  by  these  details, 
and  advised  Askaros  to  lose  no  time,  but  to  proceed  at 
once  to  Alexandria,  and  notify  Said  Pasha  —  who  was 
then  residing  in  a  palace  near  that  city  —  of  all  he  knew, 
and  to  urge  him  to  come  up  at  once  and  claim  the  sove- 
reignty now  his.  He  might  also  assure  him  that  the 
consul-general  would  confer  with  his  colleagues,  as  to 
the  best  means  of  checking  the  follies  meditated  by  Elfy 
Bey,  and  the  other  adherents  of  Abbas. 

But  he  grieved  to  inform  him  he  could  as  yet  give  him 
no  tidings  of  his  wife. 

The  dejected  countenance  of  Askaros  grew  more  sombre 
still  at  this  confession  of  ignorance  from  the  lips  of  his 
friend  ;  but  seeing  that  her  safety  depended  upon  the 
solution  of  the  existing  difficulty,  he  prepared  at  once  to 
carry  out  his  protector's  advice. 

He  sent  Ferraj  first  to  communicate  his  safety  to  El 
Warda,  and  then  rejoin  him  at  Boulak,  where  he  pro- 
posed taking  a  boat  which,  manned  by  six  rowers,  would 
soon  take  him  down  the  rapid  current  to  the  palace  of 
Sa'id. 

What  was  his  joy,  on  meeting  Ferraj  at  the  trysting- 
place,  to  learn  that  his  wife  was  safe  and  well !  A  mys- 
terious message  from  the  Frenchwoman  had  notified  El 
Warda  of  that  fact,  but  she  knew  no  more. 

Still  with  a  lightened  heart  Askaros,  accompanied  by 
his  faithful  Nubian,  proceeded  on  his  mission  to  warn  the 
new  Viceroy  of  his  accession  to  the  throne  and  honors 
of  his  predecessor,  then  lying  dead  at  the  citadel. 

By  midnight  he  had  reached  the  palace  of  Said,  and 
instead  of  finding  everything  still,  and  all  the  occupants 


A  SKA  R  OS    KA  S  S I  S.  44! 

buried  in  sleep,  to  his  surprise  he  observed  lights  gleam- 
ing from  every  window,  forms  moving  before  them,  and 
evident  preparations  being  made  for  a  movement  in  some 
direction.  Surely,  he  thought,  his  tidings  had  either  been 
anticipated  by  some  earlier  messenger,  or  the  rumors  that 
had  disturbed  Cairo  had  floated  with  the  evening  fog 
down  the  river  to  the  palace  of  Said  —  hitherto  more  a 
gilded  prison  than  a  palace,  from  which  he  could  not  stir 
without  the  permission  of  his  jealous  and  suspicious  kins- 
man, Abbas. 

Entering  and  demanding  an  audience,  he  was  immedi- 
ately shown  into  the  presence  of  Said  Pasha,  a  large 
handsome  man,  with  reddish-brown  beard  and  sanguine 
complexion,  and  a  face  indicating  a  frank  and  generous 
character.  He  was  sitting  on  a  divan,  apparently  in  high 
good  humor,  surrounded  by  several  friends,  among  whom 
Askaros  recognized  Zoulfikar  Pasha. 

Cordially  greeting  the  Copt,  Said  burst  into  a  loud 
laugh  and  cried : 

"Why,  Effendi,  the  news  is  stale  which  you  come  so 
mysteriously  to  bring  me  at  midnight.  Several  hours 
since  it  was  brought  to  me  by  a  woman — by  two  women, 
in  fact  —  one  of  whom  I  think  you  might  like  to  see." 

Clapping  his  hands,  he  ordered  an  attendant  to  take 
the  Effendi  to  see  the  old  Frenchwoman  who  had  arrived 
a  few  hours  before ;  and  the  next  moment  Askaros  was 
locked  in  the  embrace  of  his  long  lost  wife,  and  attempt- 
ing to  answer  a  hundred  questions  of  hers,  and  get  an- 
swers to  as  many  of  his  own  at  the  same  time. 

The  joy  of  both  at  this  sudden  and  unexpected  meeting 
may  be  imagined  —  it  cannot  be  described.  Both  felt  it 
almost  a  compensation  for  the  trials  and  the  sufferings 
through  which  they  had  passed  to  this  blessed  reunion, 


442  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

which  they  knew  could  never  now  be  disturbed  again -by 
mortal  malice,  or  by  aught  save  death. 

Over  a  scene  and  a  sentiment  so  holy,  like  the  ancient 
painter  let  us  drop  a  veil :  for,  as  the  pencil  of  Zeuxis 
failed  to  depict  the  agony  of  the  bereaved  father,  so  any 
pen  would  fail  to  paint  the  rapture  of  such  a  meeting, 
and  at  such  a  time. 

How  Elfy  Bey,  warned  by  the  consul-general  of  the 
futility  and  folly  of  his  project  to  set  aside  the  regular 
succession  of  Said  Pasha  in  favor  of  El  Hami,  renounced 
his  design ;  how  he  welcomed  Said  to  Cairo,  and  rode  in 
at  his  right  hand ;  how  Sai'd  even  praised  his  fidelity  to 
his  old  master  as  the  best  guarantee  for  his  faithfully  serv- 
ing the  new ;  how  Elfy  Bey  sat  in  the  seat  of  honor  next 
the  Viceroy  at  dinner,  and  retired  to  rest  full  of  hope 
and  joy,  only  to  be  found  dead  in  his  bed  next  morning 
—  all  these  are  matters  of  history. 

Whether  the  death  of  the  Governor  resulted  from  over- 
excitement  of  brain,  or  from  a  cup  of  coffee  administered 
by  some  super-serviceable  servant  or  ally  of  the  new 
Viceroy,  was  never  known,  and  probably  it  never  will  be 
until  the  great  disclosure  of  secrets  on  the  Final  Day. 
But  even  the  friends  of  Abbas  and  of  Elfy  Bey  acquitted 
Said  Pasha  of  any  privity  in  the  deed  :  if  the  Governor 
really  died  not  by  the  visitation  of  God,  instead  of  by  the 
hand  of  man. 

Such  an  act  was  felt  by  all  to  be  utterly  alien  to  the 
temper  of  the  new  monarch,  who  had  enjoyed  European 
training  and  culture,  and  was  more  a  European  in  his 
tastes  and  habits  than  a  Turk. 

Abbas  Pasha  was  interred  with  all  befitting  pomp  and 
ceremony  in  the  family  vault  of  the  descendants  of 
Mehemet  Ali,  near  the  tombs  of  the  old  Mameluke  Sul- 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  443 

tans :  and  a  magnificent  monument,  placed  over  him  at 
the  public  expense,  now  marks  the  resting  place  of  his 
remains. 

Elfy  Bey  was  buried  also  with  befitting  honors :  and 
the  post  vacated  by  his  death  was  tendered  by  Said  Pasha 
to  Askaros  Kassis.  For  the  new  Viceroy  appreciated 
highly  the  good  qualities  and  ability  of  the  young  Copt, 
and  he  desired  by  this  appointment  of  a  Christian  to  a 
position  of  such  high  trust,  to  mark  the  commencement 
of  that  new  era  of  liberality  which  signalized  his  reign. 

But  Askaros  gratefully,  yet  firmly,  declined  the  great 
honor  tendered  him. 

"  Highness,  never  will  I  forget  thy  generous  kindness, 
nor  cease  to  hold  it  in  my  heart,"  he  said.  "But  after 
all  my  wife  has  suffered,  she  needs  rest,  repose,  and  re- 
tirement— at  least  for  a  while  —  from  this  country.  We 
will  seek  in  the  society  of  her  old  friends  forgetfulness 
of  past  trials.  Therefore  the  favor  I  shall  seek  from 
your  Highness  is  the  permission  to  sail  next  week  for 
Europe." 

This  permission  was  graciously  accorded  by  the  Vice- 
roy, who,  nevertheless,  renewed  his  persuasions,  and  his 
regrets  at  their  want  of  effect ;  and  the  next  week  Aska- 
ros and  Edith,  with  lighter  hearts  than  they  had  known 
for  many  days,  set  sail  for  Europe,  having  vainly  en- 
deavored to  persuade  El  Warda  to  accompany  them. 


CHAPTER    XL. 

EL  WARDA'S  VIGIL. 

HOURS  passed  into  days,  and  days  into  weeks. 
The  old  reign  was  over,  and  the  new  one  suc- 
cessfully inaugurated. 

Her  brother  and  sister  had  sailed,  after  vainly  endeav- 
oring to  induce  her  to  accompany  them  to  Europe — and 
still  El  Warda  neither  saw  nor  heard  from  Daoud-ben- 
Youssouf,  nor  could  gain  any  clue  to  his  fate. 

He  had  disappeared  as  suddenly,  as  mysteriously,  and 
as  thoroughly  as  a  dissolving  view  in  a  panoramic  picture, 
leaving  behind  him  no  clue  by  which  to  track  his  foot- 
steps ;  had  vanished  from  the  sight  of  man,  as  utterly,  as 
though  the  Khamseen  wind  of  the  desert  had  buried  him 
beneath  its  sandy  waves. 

The  mind  and  heart  of  El  Warda  had  been  the  prey 
of  many  conflicting  emotions  since  the  hour  of  her  last 
interview  with  the  Syrian,  when  his  strange  revelation  had 
been  made  to  her,  and  she  had  sounded  the  depths  of 
that  strong  and  sullen  soul.  That  fierce,  passionate  love 
for  her  which  absorbed  his  every  faculty :  that  unflinch- 
ing will  which  would  wade  to  her  through  peril  and  crime 
rather  than  lose  her ;  and  that  atmosphere  of  strife  and 

444 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  445 

sin,  through  which  he  moved  and  had  his  being  —  all 
these  things  had  impressed  the  imagination  of  the  maiden 
with  a  shuddering  horror.  But  it  was  not  unmixed  with 
reluctant  admiration  of  the  misdirected  strength  which 
sustained  him,  making  him  the  master  of  that  fearful 
situation  in  which  he  rose  to  the  dignity  of  an  arbiter. 

As  some  one  of  the  faithful  angels,  in  the  first  great 
revolt  in  heaven,might  have  looked  upon  the  horrid  splen- 
dor of  Lucifer,  when  even  over  the  burning  marl,  after 
his  fall,  he  trod  defiant  still  —  with  pride  unconquerable 
after  all  was  lost — so  from  the  white  heights  of  her  puri- 
ty looked  down  the  spirit  of  El  Warda  upon  the  strug- 
gling, sinning  —  yet  not  utterly  lost  soul  of  Daoud-ben- 
Youssouf! 

With  that  horror  and  that  admiration  there  blended 
also  pity  for  the  perversion  of  powers  so  great ;  and  a 
lingering  hope  of  the  possibility  of  converting  them  into 
the  channels  of  good.  For  the  young  girl  had  in  her 
much  of  the  spirit  of  the  martyr,  as  well  as  of  the  devotee. 
She  had  learnt  self-sacrifice  — the  immolation  of  her  own 
hopes  and  wishes  for  the  good  of  others  —  at  an  early 
day ;  and  in  the  way  which  appealed  most  directly  to  her 
own  heart  —  in  accepting  the  last  proposal  of  Daoud  she 
felt  she  had  consummated  that  sacrifice  as  thoroughly  as 
though,  like  an  Indian  widow,  she  had  mounted  her  own 
funeral  pyre ! 

Hence,  on  her  return  home  to  the  convent  on  the  night 
after  she  had  made  that  pledge,  which  she  had  intended 
faithfully  to  keep,  she  felt  the  same  spirit  in  her  gentle 
bosom  of  which  she  had  read  in  stories  of  the  blessed 
martyrs  of  her  church,  whose  sublime  self-renunciation 
she  had  often  marvelled  at,  but  never  dreamed  of  imi- 
tating. 

38 


44^  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

Yet  she  never  blenched  nor  faltered  in  her  resolve, 
nor  thought  of  evading  the  dread  ordeal  she  had  invoked. 
But  she  spent  the  whole  of  that  night  on  her  knees  in 
prayer  to  the  Virgin  to  sustain  and  strengthen  her,  and 
assoilize  her  soul  from  the  sin — if  such  it  was  —  by  which 
she  had  sought  to  save  her  brother  and  sister  by  the  sac- 
rifice of  herself.  Morning  had  dawned  upon  her  while 
thus  engaged ;  and  as  she  rose  from  her  holy  vigil,  the 
patient  endurance  she  had  prayed  for  seemed  to  have  de- 
scended on  her  agitated  spirit  from  above,  and  she  felt 
ready  to  accept  the  martyrdom  she  had  challenged. 

From  that  moment  no  shadow  of  doubt  or  of  distrust 
disturbed  her  serene  spirit,  as  to  her  own  ability  to  bear 
her  own  burden ;  but  the  gentle  spirit  had  undergone 
endless  alternations  of  doubt  and  fear  as  to  the  safety  of 
her  friends,  and  as  to  the  success'  of  that  mysterious  mis- 
sion of  Daoud,  of 'which  she  comprehended  neither  the 
necessity  nor  the  purport.  Had  she  for  one  moment 
imagined  the  criminal  nature  of  that  mission,  or  the 
dreadful  tragedy  it  involved,  not  for  a  single  instant  could 
she  have  countenanced  or  encouraged  it.  But,  while  con- 
cealing no  one  thing  in  the  past,  the  Syrian  instinctively 
recoiled  from  even  hinting  the  means  by  which  the  liber- 
ation of  her  friends  was  to  be  effected ;  and  she  had  im- 
agined that  craft  and  stratagem — not  violence  and  crime 
—  were  to  accomplish  it. 

Ignorant  as  she  was  of  all  such  matters,  the  very  dis- 
guise assumed  by  Daoud  confirmed  her  in  this  belief:  and 
she  supposed  that  only  his  safety  was  concerned  in  the 
venture,  which  he  had  undertaken  solely  for  love  of  her. 
And  she  would  not  have  been  a  woman  —  and  a  very 
young  woman  —  had  not  the  consciousness  of  this  fact 
sent  a  pleasing  thrill  through  her  heart,  and  lent  a 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  447 

favorable  light  to  her  judgment  of  both  the  acts  and  im- 
pulses of  the  Syrian  —  base  as  some  of  them  had  seemed 
— when  palliated  by  a  motive  so  strong  as  that  which  he 
had  avowed. 

The  sentiment  of  compassion,  of  pity,  grew  stronger 
in  that  gentle  breast  when  she  thought  over  the  isolation, 
and  suppressed  sympathies  of  that  lonely  life ;  of  that 
strong  soul  struggling  in  the  cold  waters  of  poverty  and 
contempt,  while  feeling  the  consciousness  of  capacity  to 
rise  —  like  the  angel  with  shorn  wings  unwilling  to  sink, 
yet  unable  to  soar,  the  divine  element  struggling  ever 
against  the  diabolic. 

Poor  Daoud  !  he  was  not  so  very  bad  after  all.  Cir- 
cumstances had  much  to  do  with  his  evil  acts,  and  her 
interposition  had  never  failed  to  turn  him  from  the  paths 
of  evil  to  those  of  good.  And  now  he  had  gone,  even 
at  the  risk  of  his  own  life,  to  rescue  from  danger  and 
worse  than  death  those  who  were  dear  to  her,  for  her 
sake  only  !  She  must  have  been  more  or  less  than  wo- 
man to  have  resisted  the  appeal  that  the  memory  of  that 
fact  pressed  upon  her. 

She  felt  a  warm  blush  rise  to  her  cheek  as  she  recalled 
the  impassioned  fervor  of  his  prayer  to  her ;  the  total 
self-abnegation,  the  devoted  heroism  with  which  he  had 
consecrated  his  life  to  secure  her  hand  ;  and  she  thought 
that  she  could  not  fail  to  make  his  future  life  better  than 
his  past  had  been,  while  such  was  her  influence  over  him. 

Thus  she  dreamed,  and  meditated,  and  prayed,  while 
the  first  hour  passed  after  their  decisive  interview ;  and 
she  knew  not  whether  hopes  or  her  fears  predominated. 

But  another  sensation  took  possession  of  her,  when, 
the  ensuing  evening,  she  received  the  mysterious  message 
from  the  old  Frenchwoman  that  her  sister  was  free  — 


448  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

when  a  few  hours  later  Ferraj  brought  the  welcome  tid- 
ings that  her  brother  was  also  safe,  and  that  the  tyrant, 
who  had  caused  all  their  sufferings,  had  been  sent  to  his 
dread  account  —  how,she  neither  knew  nor  fancied. 

When  she  found  later  that  neither  Askaros  nor  Edith 
could  explain  aught  of  the  means  of  their  deliverance,  or 
of  the  hand  which  had  stricken  the  blow  that  liberated 
them  and  Egypt  at  one  stroke  —  though  both  thought  the 
Princess  Nezle'  had  some  mysterious  connection  with  it — 
a  vague  suspicion  began  to  creep  into  her  mind  —  a  hor- 
rible dread  lest  she,  in  some  innocent  way,  had  taken 
part  in  that  fearful  tragedy  that  had  sent  a  soul  so  ill- 
prepared  to  its  dread  account.  Struggle  as  she  would 
against  it,  this  strange  new  horror  rose  up  before  her,  and 
appalled  her  like  some  shapeless  spectre  ! 

These  formless  and  spectral  terrors  assumed  more  sub- 
stantial shape  after  her  brother  and  sister  had  gone. 
Then  the  Frenchwoman  had  made  a  visit,  in  which  she 
told  all  El  Warda  had  not  known  before,  and  showed  the 
black  gulf  of  crime  and  sin,  over  which  she  had  helped 
to  build  the  bridge  that  bore  her  brother  and  sister  into 
safety. 

The  Frenchwoman's  love  for  El  Warda  was  as  that  of 
a  mother  for  a  daughter ;  but  her  energy  and  courage 
seemed  strangely  to  have  collapsed,  since  the  recent 
scenes  in  which  she  had  displayed  so  much  of  both. 
She  related  this  black  and  painful  history  to  the  young 
girl,  to  warn  her  against  any  future  intercourse  with  the 
Syrian,  whom  she  now  showed  her  to  be  the  executor  of 
the  wicked  plot  of  her  mistress  —  Nezle  Khanum.  For 
the  Frenchwoman  well  knew  the  love  of  Daoud  for  El 
Warda,  though  she  suspected  nothing  of  secret  compact 
between  the  two. 


ASKAROS   KASSIS.  449 

These  awful  revelations  threw  a  new  and  ghastly  light 
upon  the  compact  she  had  formed  with  Daoud,  unwitting 
of  its  dreadful  import ;  and  the  soul  of  the  pure  maiden 
was  harrowed  up  by  the  thought  of  the  fearful  crime,  in 
which  she  had  innocently  been  made  an  accomplice. 

In  an  agony  of  prayer  and  supplication  she  again  in- 
voked the  Virgin  all  night  at  the  convent ;  and  the  morn- 
ing dawned  upon  her,  pale,  haggard,  and  tortured  with 
internal  doubts — not  as  before,  calm  and  self-possessed 
in  the  serenity  of  a  soul  at  peace  with  itself  and  with 
the  world.  She  saw  now,  as  if  by  flashes  of  lightning, 
the  dreadful  gulf  which  yawned  behind  and  before  her, 
both  in  her  complicity  in  the  accomplished  crime,  and  in 
her  pledge  to  the  chief  criminal,  after  its  accomplish- 
ment. 

Which  way  could  she  turn  ?  How  escape  the  dread- 
ful doom  she  had  rashly  invoked  on  her  own  head,  in 
linking  her  fate  with  that  of  'one  whom  she  knew  to  be 
a  premeditated  assassin  —  yet  an  assassin  by  her  deliberate 
act  and  will  —  unconsciously  it  might  be,  yet  none  the 
less  surely  so? 

Ought  she  now — after  having  tempted,  as  it  were,  the 
unhappy  Daoud  to  the  commission  of  his  crime  —  ought 
she  now  abandon  him  —  conscious  as  she  was,  that  with- 
out her  restraining  and  purifying  influence,  "his  latter 
end  would  be  worse  than  his  first"  ? 

Was  it  not  rather  her  duty  —  all  innocent  though  she 
might  judge  herself  of  actual  complicity  in  his  crime  — • 
to  seek  to  remedy  its  after  influences,  and  to  turn  him 
from  his  wickedness  that  he  might  live  hereafter? 

Should  she  shrink  from  this  duty  because  it  was  re- 
pugnant and  painful  to  her?  Should  she  allow  a  soul  to 
38*  aD 


45°  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

be  lost,  through  her  own  weak,  selfish  scruples  as  to  her 
own  personal  comfort  or  happiness  ? 

No  !  a  thousand  times  no  ! 

She  would  sacrifice  herself — all  her  own  future  happi- 
ness— to  save  this  soul,  staggering  in  the  dark  depths  of 
sin,  and  almost,  though  not  entirely  lost ;  for  gleams  of 
native  nobleness  and  self-sacrifice  irradiated  its  blackness 
still  ! 

Poor  Daoud  !  sorely  had  he  been  tried  and  tempted  ; 
terribly  had  he  suffered  —  foully  had  he  been  wronged 
by  the  man  whom  he  had  finally  slain  !  And  the  motive 
for  which  he  had  perilled  life  to  perpetrate  that  dreadful 
deed  had  not  been  low,  or  base,  but  one  of  the  highest 
and  'most  unselfish  which  can  animate  our  frail  humanity 
— at  least  in  a  maiden's  eyes. 

So,  sadly  torn  and  tossed  by  conflicting  doubts  and 
emotions,  the  maiden  watched  and  waited  for  the  Syrian's 
return  ;  not  quite  decided  how  she  would  receive  him,  or 
what  course  she  would  finally  adopt,  but  reserving  her 
decision  for  the  time  of  his  return.  Upon  the  impres- 
sion that  this  interview  —  his  explanations  and  his  man- 
ner—  should  have  upon  her,  she  must  depend. 

And  so  she  contented  herself. 

But  that  explanation  and  that  decision  were  never  to 
take  place  —  at  least  on  this  side  of  eternity  !  For  never 
again  was  the  face  of  Daoud -ben- Youssouf  seen  of  men  in 
the  city  of  Cairo ;  and  his  name  and  his  memory  passed 
away  like  a  vapor  that  comes  and  vanishes  into  the  void : 
leaving  no  trace  behind  it,  even  as  substantial  as  the  rip- 
ples left  by  a  bubble  broken  on  the  water,  ere  it  disap- 
pears forever. 


CHAPTER    XLI. 

THE  SYRIAN'S  REWARD. 

BUT  where  was  the  Syrian,  that  he  came  not  to  claim 
the  reward  for  which  he  had  risked  life  and  soul  ? 
Where  was  he  ? 

Let  us  return  to  the  Abassieh,  on  the  night  of  the  mur- 
der of  Abbas  Pasha,  and  follow  the  footsteps  of  the 
Mamelukes,  who  wrought  the  will  of  that  fell  woman  who 
sent  them,  knowing  the  choice  was  between  his  life  and 
her  own. 

No  sooner  had  the  two  Mamelukes  arranged  the  body 
of  their  victim  on  the  divan,  so  as  to  give  it  the  appear- 
ance of  natural  death,  than  they  glided  out  of  the  room. 
Through  the  silent  and  deserted  passages  of  the  hareem 
apartments  —  on  to  the  postern  gate  that  led  to  the  outer 
court,  they  passed  swiftly  and  noiselessly. 

There  stood  expectant  the  shadowy  form  of  a  veiled 
woman,  with  whom  the  Circassian  exchanged  a  few 
words,  showing  her  a  signet-ring.  The  door  immediate- 
ly opened,  and  the  same  eunuch  who  had  brought  them 
there  appeared,  and  preceded  them,  without  a  word,  to 
the  palace-gate.  At  a  whisper  from  him,  that  too  opened, 
and  the  three  passed  out  into  the  desert,  beyond  the  bar- 


452  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

racks  surrounding  the  palace.  Here  they  found  two  fleet 
dromedaries  in  charge  of  a  Bedouin. 

The  eunuch  mounting  one  of  these,  signed  to  the  Mam- 
elukes to  mount  the  other,  first  giving  each  of  them  a 
coarse  Bedouin  bournous,  which  concealed  their  glitter- 
ing uniforms,  and  gave  them  the  appearance  of  ordinary 
Bedouins.  He  also  enveloped  himself  in  one  of  these, 
and  the  three  rapidly  traversed  the  road  toward  Cairo, 
without  a  single  word  having  been  uttered. 

The  night  was  clear  and  beautiful.  Not  a  cloud  ob- 
scured the  deep  blue  vault  of  heaven,  in  which  the  stars 
shone,  white  and  lustrous,  like  the  silver  lamps  hung  in 
an  azure  dome.  The  moon  was  waning,  but  its  silvery 
sheen  still  illuminated  earth  and  sky  with  a  flood  of  mel- 
low radiance,  as  though  it  designed  its  last  lingering 
glances  to  be  its  brightest,  before  withdrawing  them  from 
the  eyes  of  man. 

Not  a  sight  or  sound  disturbed  the  unbroken  void  and 
stillness  of  the  plain ;  and  the  desert-ships — as  the  drom- 
edaries have  been  aptly  termed  —  traversed  it  at  a  pace 
more  swift  than  that  of  a  race-horse.  At  length,  striking 
the  city  and  entering  the  lower  gate  to  pass  direct  toward 
5oulak,  the  three  traversed  the  silent  and  deserted  streets 
of  Cairo — through  the  Syrian  quarter,  and  avoiding  the 
Ezbekieh  —  and  reached  Boulak  just  about  midnight. 

Then  stepping  to  the  side  of  Daoud-ben-Youssouf,  the 
eunuch  broke  silence,  for  the  first  time,  during  the  long 
mysterious  ride. 

' '  I  am  charged  by  the  Great  Lady  we  all  serve  to 
speak  to  thee  these  things,"  he  said  in  Arabic.  " Firstly, 
that  thou  and  thy  companion  will  find  her  at  Rhoda 
Island,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Nile  —  not  here.  At 
that  place  she  will  listen  to  the  tale  thou  mayst  have  to 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  453 

tell.  Next,  that  thou  wilt  find  the  boat  to  bear  thee  to 
her  palace  —  where  thy  ring  will  admit  thee  —  at  the 
point  thou  knowest  of  amid  the  rushes,  where  tradition 
tells  that  the  infant  Moussa  was  found  by  the  daughter  of 
Thotmes  in  olden  time. 

"And  finally,  our  mistress  bids  me  charge  thee,  the 
Circassian,  to  well  remember  her  charge  —  that  when 
thou  didst  return  to  her,  thou  shouldst  do  so  —  alone  .' 

"  The  princess  bids  me  recall  to  thee  the  verse  of  the 
Persian  poet  — '  That  is  a  secret  which  two  have  in  keep- 
ing. Admit  a  third,  and  it  is  none  ! '  Such  are  the  words 
of  thy  mistress  and  mine.  Bakaloum  ! ' ' 

A  shudder  passed  through  the  frame  of  the  Syrian  at 
the  incentive  to  new  crime,  which  lurked  under  the  am- 
biguous message  he  had  just  received.  Its  meaning  he 
could  not  doubt.  He  was  ordered  to  remove  the  only 
witness  who  might  testify  hereafter  against  the  princess 
and  himself. 

Was  the  labyrinth  of  crime  into  which  he  had  entered, 
to  have  no  clue  by  which  he  could  retrace  his  steps  into 
pure  air,  and  into  paths  open  to  all  men?  Dare  he  dis- 
obey the  princess,  and  risk  all  he  had  perilled  so  much 
to  secure  ? 

How  did  he  know  but  her  power  with  the  new  Vice- 
roy might  be  greater  than  with  the  old  ?  that  she  was  not 
the  agent  of  Said  Pasha,  making  him  her  tool  in  the  act 
which  had  opened  the  throne  to  him ;  and  that  Daoud, 
the  instrument,  was  not  now  at  the  mercy  of  that  pitiless 
woman  ?  She  bade  him  slay  his  accomplice  —  might  she 
not  afterward  remove  him,  too,  so  that  no  witness  should 
be  left? 

Yet,  were  he  to  listen  to  these  craven  doubts  and  fly  to 
his  own  home,  or  to  Syria  —  what  then?  He  would  have 


454  ASKAROS   KASSIS. 

stained  his  hands  and  his  soul  with  blood  to  no  purpose ! 
He  would  have  committed  an  useless  crime,  and  his  re- 
ward —  El  Warda  !  —  would  be  further  from  him  than 
ever  !  — more  remote  than  yonder  planet,  Saturn,  whose 
dull  red  disk  he  saw  dipping  down  to  disappear  behind 
the  horizon  —  its  last,  lingering  rays  gleaming  like  blood 
on  the  Nile. 

No  ;  he  would  not  turn  back  at  this  late  hour  !  He 
would  go  on  —  on  !  —  and  fulfil  his  Kismet,  wherever  it 
might  lead  him  ! 

Long  as  it  has  taken  to  record  these  doubts,  they 
passed  with  lightning-like  rapidity  through  the  brain  of 
the  Syrian  ;  and  but  a  few  seconds  after  the  eunuch  had 
spoken,  the  two  Mamelukes  had  dismounted,  bidden  him 
farewell,  and  taken  the  path  alongside  the  river,  lead- 
ing to  the  crossing  to  Rhoda  Island,  with  its  marble 
palace  gleaming  ghost-like  in  the  distance  under  the 
white  rays  of  the  moon. 

The  Georgian  went  in  advance  along  the  narrow  path, 
the  shrubberies  of  which  grew  denser  as  they  proceeded ; 
the  Circassian  following  a  few  steps  behind  him.  In  the 
busy  brain  of  the  latter  were  fermenting  a  chaos  of 
thoughts  and  passions,  little  suspected  by  his  companion ; 
and  chief  among  them  loomed  the  necessity  of  execut- 
ing the  order  given  him  —  which  he  shuddered  to  obey, 
yet  dared  not  disobey  —  if  he  were  to  face  the  impla- 
cable princess. 

Twice  —  with  the  stealthy,  gliding  step  of  the  panther 
—  he  pressed  close  upon  the  footsteps  of  his  unsuspect- 
ing companion,  loosened  his  long,  keen  dagger  in  its 
sheath,  and  prepared  to  strike  him  a  mortal  blow  ! 

Twice  his  heart  failed  him  ;  a  numb,  cold  sickness 
crept  over  brow,  heart,  and  brain.  He  could  not  strike  ! 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  455 

And  the  steel,  innocent  of  blood,  stole  back  to  its  scab- 
bard. 

So  they  wended  their  painful  way,  the  path  growing 
narrower  still,  and  the  jungle  thicker ;  until  the  Georgian 
at  length  turned  his  head,  and  with  a  laugh  announced 
th'at  a  few  steps  more  would  bring  them  out  of  the  thicket, 
on  to  the  river-bank,  where  they  would  find  the  boat 
among  the  rushes. 

As  the  other  spoke,  the  necessity  for  prompt  action 
forced  itself  on  the  Syrian.  Now  he  must  decide  !  — 
must  either  finish  the  work  assigned  him,  claim  and  re- 
ceive his  reward  from  the  princess ;  or  turn  back  with 
the  Georgian,  seek  safety  in  flight  from  the  country,  and 
relinquish  the  prize  for  which  he  had  perilled  so  much ! 
For  he  never  dreamt  he  could  remain  in  Egypt  —  far 
less  claim  that  reward  —  after  disobeying  the  last  orders 
of  the  she-devil,  who  seemed  to  have  bought  him,  body 
and  soul ! 

Then  arose  before  his  distracted  vision  the  image  of 
El  Warda,  pure,  bright,  and  lovely  even  as  he  had  last 
beheld  her,  stretching  out  her  hand  and  beckoning  him 
into  an  earthly  paradise  —  even  as  the  Houris  beckon  to 
the  Faithful  after  death. 

That  vision,  sent  by  the  evil  spirit  Ahriman,  turned 
the  wavering  balance.  A  mist  seemed  to  pass  before  the 
eyes  of  Daoud,  a  fierce  thrill  of  wrath  and  hatred  shot 
through  his  heart. 

"Shall  I  lose  her  for  him?"  he  hissed  through  his 
clinched  teeth — "after  all!  and  so  near  fulfilment? 
No  !  not  though  I  swim  through  blood  !  " 

Crouching  as  the  tiger  crouches,  he  bounded  forward 
upon  his  late  friend — now  his  foe.  The  keen,  bright 
steel  glistened  in  the  moonlight  over  his  unconscious 


456  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

head,  descended  over  his  left  shoulder,  and,  driven  by 
the  force  of  madness,  penetrated  his  heart ! 

The  Georgian  fell  upon  his  face  —  the  crimson  tide 
gushing  from  his  lips  ere  they  could  syllable  a  sound  — 
dead  ere  he  felt  the  felon  blow,  that  dismissed  his  soul 
from  Time  to  Eternity  ! 

Daoud  paused  not  longer  to  survey  the  victim  of  his 
treachery,  than  to  pluck  his  dagger  from  the  wound. 
Then  raising  the  body  with  difficulty  in  his  arms,  he 
dragged  it  to  the  river's  bank,  and  hurled  it  into  the  tur- 
bid waters  —  racing  with  a  hoarse  murmur  down  toward 
the  sea ;  for  the  current  set  in  near  the  bank  on  which  he 
stood. 

Then  by  a  sudden  impulse,  throwing  himself  wildly  on 
his  knees,  with  the  tears  streaming  from  his  eyes,  the  un- 
happy man  burst  into  an  incoherent  rhapsody  of  remorse, 
prayer  and  supplication  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  that  she 
might  cleanse  and  purify  his  soul  from  this,  as  from  pre- 
vious sins ;  vowing  that  he  would  devote  the  rest  of  his 
life  to  her  service  —  to  works  of  kindness  and  of  charity; 
beseeching  her  not  so  much  for  his  own  sinful  sake,  as 
for  that  of  her  vestal  virgin,  El  Warda,  whom  he  would 
henceforth  make  the  guide  and  guardian  of  his  life ; 
pleading  for  pardon  on  the  bank  of  that  lone  river,  with 
all  the  fervor  and  earnestness  of  a  criminal  to  an  earthly 
judge,  sitting  in  judgment  on  him. 

When  he  had  finished  his  prayer  —  heard,  perhaps  at 
that  higher  bar,  but  to  which  no  answer  was  vouchsafed 
by  sign  or  portent,  to  his  excited  senses  —  the  Syrian 
rose,  wiped  carefully  all  signs  of  blood  from  his  dagger, 
which  he  again  stuck  into  his  sash,  and  descending  the 
bank,  again  peered  anxiously  into  the  rushes  for  the  bark 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  457 

which  was  to  bear  him  across  to  Rhoda  Island  to  see  the 
Princess  Nezle  Khanum. 

At  length  he  found  it ;  a  small  boat  like  a  caique,  very 
frail  and  slight,  with  two  slender  oars.  The  river  was 
at  low  water,  yet  the  current  was  very  strong  still,  and 
dangerous  to  be  upset  in,  from  the  undertow  which  was 
apt  to  drown  any  one  who  sunk  in  its  tide,  however  good 
a  swimmer. 

The  Syrian,  however,  was  intent  on  other  things,  and 
eager  to  finish  the  interview  with  the  princess,  on  which 
so  much  depended.  He  took  but  little  heed  of  the  skiff, 
but  launched  it  into  the  stream,  seized  the  oars  and  pulled 
rapidly  away  from  shore.  Scarcely  had  he  reached  the 
strong  current,  however,  when  he  was  surprised  to  find 
the  water  rising  round  his  ankles  in  the  bottom  of  the 
boat,  which  had  been  dry  when  he  got  into  it.  His  sub- 
tle mind  immediately  suspected  treachery;  and  a  minute's 
investigation  showed  the  trap  set  for  him  by  the  princess, 
whose  cunning  had  devised  the  means  of  removing  the 
sole  surviving  witness  of  the  tragedy  planned  by  her, 
although  she  took  no  part  in  it. 

With  that  conviction  rose  in  the  Syrian's  mind  all  the 
hatred  and  all  the  courage  of  which  his  late  thoughts  had 
robbed  him.  He  would  baffle  this  wicked  woman  yet ; 
save  himself  and  secure  from  El  Warda  herself — without 
the  intervention  of  another  —  the  performance  of  her 
promise  !  He  turned  the  rapidly  sinking  boat  back 
toward  the  shore  he  had  left ;  allowing  it  to  float  down- 
ward with  the  current  and  inclining  it  gradually  toward 
the  bank,  that  he  might  swim  ashore  at  a  point  lower 
down  than  he  had  launched  it,  and  escape  the  possible 
watch  of  the  people  of  the  princess. 

When  at  last  the  boat  settled  down,  the  Syrian,  plung- 
39 


ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

ing  into  the  stream  and  keeping  his  head  well  above  it, 
struck  out  for  the  shore  at  a  point  where  he  saw  it  shelv- 
ing down  to  the  water's  edge,  fringed  with  long  rushes. 
Strong  as  the  current  was,  he  breasted  it  successfully,  and 
was  reaching  shoal  water — with  a  heart  full  of  good  re- 
solves and  thankfulness  for  his  preservation,  and  rebound- 
ing from  his  late  despair — when  suddenly  he  saw,  to  his 
surprise,  a  dark  object  resembling  an  old  log  floating 
from  the  muddy  bank  toward  him. 

As  there  was  no  current  from  the  shore,  this  struck  him 
as  strange ;  but  his  surprise  was  changed  into  horror 
when  the  object  approached  nearer,  disclosing  to  his 
gaze,  under  the  bright  moonlight,  the  scaly  back  and  un- 
shapely bulk  of  the  crocodile  !  most  dreaded  of  all  the 
tenants  of  that  slimy  flood,  though  but  rarely  seen  so  low 
down  the  river. 

As  the  monster  moved  through  the  water,  with  a  move- 
ment indicating  the  vast  propulsive  power  in  its  short 
forearms  and  muscular  tail  —  lashing  the  river  into  foam 
as  it  forged  onward  —  Daoud  could  distinguish  its  sharp 
snout  elevated  above  the  flood,  and  the  small,  glittering, 
serpent-like  eyes  it  fixed  on  its  destined  prey. 

Each  second  brought  the  fell  monster  nearer  the  man ; 
while  the  huge  jaws  would  occasionally  open  —  display- 
ing the  sharp  double  row  of  glistening  teeth  which  armed 
them  —  then  close  again  with  a  snap  like  the  music  of 
castanets,  resounding  through  the  stillness. 

Imminent  and  deadly  was  the  peril,  as  Daoud  well 
knew;  but  he  lost  not  heart  nor  hope.  His  nerves, 
steeled  to  danger  in  its  most  fearful  shape  during  his  re- 
cent trials,  did  not  fail  him  now.  But  he  felt  a  deadly 
sickness  of  heart,  for  an  instant  at  the  new  and  hideous 
form  of  peril,  thus  suddenly  confronting  him  at  the  very 


ASKAROS    K ASS  IS.  459 

moment  of  his  fancied  escape  from  all  his  danger ;  just 
when  he  was  making  his  good  resolves  for  a  tranquil 
future. 

Never  before  had  he  encountered  this  dread  monster : 
but  he  knew  its  nature  and  its  habits  well ;  for  he  had 
often  heard  the  Arabs  of  the  Upper  Nile  tell  of  their  en- 
counters with,  and  victories  over  it:  and  he  therefore  un- 
derstood which  way  the  path  of  safety  lay. 

He  allowed  the  greedy  monster  to  approach  within  two 
lengths  of  him  —  simply  floating  himself  on  the  surface 
of  the  water,  with  a  wary  eye  fixed  on  every  movement 
of  his  adversary.  Flight  he  knew  would  be  speedy  and 
certain  death.  He  waited  till  he  could  see  the  very  twin- 
kle of  its  hungry  eye  —  then  dived  down  into  the  flood, 
his  dagger  bare  in  his  right  hand  ! 

The  moment  after,  the  huge  bulk  of  the  crocodile 
seemed  convulsed  with  a  sudden  pang,  as  it  abruptly  twist- 
ed itself  round — "lashing  the  water  into  foam  with  its 
terrible  tail,  and  snapping  its  jaws  fiercely  together,  while 
its  snaky  eye  emitted  sparks  of  fire ! 

Then  it  sullenly  sunk  under  the  water  too ;  and  the 
calm  moonlight  shone  on  the  rippling  river,  showing  no 
form  of  man  nor  reptile  on  its  agitated  surface.  But  the 
water  where  the  crocodile  had  sunk  was  discolored  with 
a  dark  red  stain,  which  showed  the  Syrian's  dagger  had 
found  a  vulnerable  spot. 

He  had  dived  beneath  the  scaly  armor  which  protected 
it  from  above,  and  struck  an  upward  blow. 

Next  moment  the  man  rose  again  to  the  surface,  twenty 
yards  further  down  stream,  and  struck  out  vigorously  for 
the  shore :  but  the  current  seized  and  bore  him  down 
still  further.  And  on  it,  floated  in  pursuit  his  wounded, 
but  not  disabled  enemy  —  fiercer  and  more  savage  from 


460  ASKAROS    KASSIS. 

its  injury,  and  displaying  now  those  vast  energies  hidden 
under  its  cumbrous  and  mail-clad  carcass. 

Thrice  when  on  the  very  eve  of  being  seized  and 
crushed  between  those  mighty  jaws  —  which  vainly  snap- 
ped together  like  the  huge  portcullis  of  some  feudal 
castle  —  did  the  Syrian  narrowly  escape  destruction  by 
suddenly  diving  down  !  And  thrice  did  he  stab  with  his 
keen  poniard  into  the  unprotected  flesh  of  his  foe,  under  its 
forearm ;  while  deeper  grew  the  tinge  of  the  waters,  as 
the  red  stream  gushed  out,  though  the  great  vital  ener- 
gies of  the  amphibium  still  sustained  it  under  the  deep 
wounds  of  its  desperate  antagonist  —  whose  human  intel- 
ligence, craft,  and  courage  waged  war  against  its  superior 
strength. 

At  length  it  seemed  human  intellect,  when  backed  by 
courage,  was  destined  to  conquer  brute  force  —  even  in 
a  conflict  so  apparently  unequal  as  this,  for,  after  the 
third  plunge,  the  huge  scaly  bulk  seemed  to  float  almost 
helplessly  upon  the  water ;  while  the  river  ran  red  with 
the  life-tide  ebbing  from  its  ghastly  wounds,  and  the  dim 
eye  shone  no  more  with  hungry  hate,  but  had  an  almost 
human  expression  of  agony  and  despair  lurking  in  its 
filmy  and  glazing  orbs. 

The  crocodile  was  evidently  well-nigh  struggling  in  its 
death-throes,  and  the  mighty  frame  seemed  contracted 
and  convulsed  with  the  near  approach  of  the  final  spasm. 

The  man  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 

Just  then,  panting,  worn,  exhausted,  but  still  unwound- 
ed,  Daoud,  the  dagger  in  his  right  hand,  rose  again  to 
the  surface  ;  but  unhappily  within  a  yard  of  the  drifting 
body  of  the  almost  vanquished  monster. 

The  scaly  thing  saw  him !  and  with  a  mighty  effort  of 
expiring  energy,  struck  out  wildly  with  his  strong  tail. 


ASKAROS    KASSIS.  461 

It  fell,  like  a  flail,  on  the  head  of  the  Syrian,  stretching 
him  senseless  and  powerless  beside  his  enemy  !  The  next 
moment  the  dying  crocodile  twisted  its  body  round, 
opened  its  mighty  jaws  with  a  final  and  convulsive  effort 
— and  when  they  closed  again,  within  them  was  the  writh- 
ing body  of  the  Syrian  ;  caught  as  in  some  huge  trap, 
which  crushed  bone,  muscle,  sinew,  and  flesh  into  one 
undistinguishable  mass ! 

And  locked  tight  in  the  death-spasm  those  jaws  never 
unclosed  again  ! 

But  the  scaly  bulk  of  the  crocodile,  bearing  in  its  dead 
jaws  the  corpse  of  its  destroyer,  floated  down  the  rapid 
curfent  of  the  Nile,  under  the  still  moonlight,  to  the  open 
sea ;  which  was  to  retain  the  relics  of  both,  until  the  hour 
shall  come,  when  that  sea  shall  give  up  its  dead. 

And  so  —  although  endowed  with  the  craft  and  the 
courage  which  could  cope  successfully  with  the  Great 
Ones  of  the  earth  —  could  punish  princes,  and  defy  both 
heaven  and  hell  to  thwart  his  designs  —  perished  Daoud- 
ben-Youssouf ;  his  only  tomb  the  jaws  of  a  hideous  rep- 
tile—  his  only  reward  at  last  a  fearful  retribution. 

His  fate  was  never  known.  The  silent  river,  the  twink- 
ling stars,  and  the  solemn  sea,  which  alone  knew,  kept 
their  secret;  and  the  bright  eyes  of  El  Warda  grew  dim 
watching  and  waiting  —  whether  in  fear  or  in  hope,  she 
herself  finally  could  not  tell  —  fn  vain  for  his  return. 

As  the  weeks  glided  into  months,  and  the  months 
rolled  into  years,  that  hope  or  fear,  whichever  it  might 
be,  faded  away  from  the  maiden's  heart ;  and  she  felt 
herself  absolved  from  the  rash  vow  she  had  made  to  the 
lost  man ;  more  utterly  lost  to  human  sight  and  to  the 
39* 


462  ASKAROS    K ASS  IS. 

memory  of  all  —  save  one  —  than  ever  was  mortal  man 
before  ! 

Yet  that  One  did  not  forget  the  Syrian  —  her  brother 
that  had  been,  her  spouse  that  might  have  been  —  whose 
mysterious  disappearance  had  softened  down  the  harsh 
judgment  she  had  formed  of  him,  when  she  thought  he 
would  return  and  claim  her  promise. 

Morning  and  night,  for  many,  many  long  and  weary 
years,  did  heartfelt  prayers  go  up  to  the  Throne  of 
Grace  from  the  holy  lips  of  a  Coptish  nun,  for  the  re- 
pose of  the  soul  of  Daoud-ben-Youssouf,  who  had  found 
—  sinner  as  he  was,  and  stained  with  crime — a  shrine  in 
one  pure  and  devoted  heart,  whose  orisons  for  him  may 
finally  have  been  heard  at  the  Great  Mercy  Seat. 


LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS 


OF 


J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  &  CO. 

PHILADELPHIA . 


Will  be  sent  by  wail,  post  paid,  on  receipt  of  the  price. 


The  Albert  N'Yanza.  Great  Basin  of  the  Nile, 
and  Explorations  of  the  Nile  Sources.  By  SIR  SAMUEL  WHITE 
BAKER,  M.  A.,  F.  R.  G.  S.,  &c.  With  Maps  and  numerous  Illus- 
trations, from  sketches  by  Mr.  Baker.  New  edition.  Crown  8vo. 
Extra  cloth,  $3. 


"  It  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  and 
instructive  books  of  travel  ever  issued  ; 
and  this  edition,  at  a  reduced  price,  will 
bring  it  within  the  reach  of  many  who 
have  not  before  seen  it." — Bostonjournal. 


"  One  of  the  most  fascinating,  and  cer- 
tainly not  the   least  important,  books  of 
travel  published  during  the  century  " 
Boston  Eve.  Transcript. 


The  Nile  Tributaries  of  Abyssinia,  and  the  Sivord- 
Hunters  of  the  Hamran  Arabs.  By  SIR  SAMUEL  WHITE  BAKER, 
M.  A.,  F.  R.  G.  S.,  &c.  With  Maps  and  numerous  Illustrations, 
from  original  sketches  by  the  Author.  New  edition.  Crown 
8vo.  Extra  cloth,  $2.75. 


"  We  have  rarely  met  with  a  descriptive 
work  so  well  conceived  and  so  attractively 
written  as  Baker's  Abyssinia,  and  we  cor- 


dially recommend  it  to  public  patronage. 
...  It  is  beautifully  illustrated." — N.  O. 
Times. 


Eight  Fears'  Wandering'  in  Ceylon.  By  Sir 
SAMUEL  WHITE  BAKER,  M.  A.,  F.  R.  G.  S.,  &c.  With  Illustra- 
tions. i6mo.  Extra  cloth,  $1.50. 

"  Mr.  Baker's  description  of  life  in  Cey- 
lon, of  sport,  of  the  cultivation  of  the  soil, 


of  its  birds  and  beasts  and  insects  and  rep- 
tiles, of  its  wild  forests  and  dense  jungles, 
of  its  palm  trees  and  its  betel  nuts  and  in- 
toxicating drugs,  will  be  found  very  in- 
teresting. The  book  is  well  written  and 
beautifully  printed."  —  Bait.  Gazette. 


"  Notwithstanding  the  volume  abounds 
with  sporting  accounts,  the  natural  history 
of  Ceylon  is  well  and  carefully  described, 
and  the  curiosities  of  the  famed  island  are 
not  neglected.  It  is  a  valuable  addition  to 
the  works  on  the  East  Indies." — Phila. 
Lutheran  Obsemer. 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  &•   CO. 


The  Rifle  and  the  Hound  in  Ceylon.  By  Sir 
SAMUEL  WHITE  BAKER,  M.  A.,  F.  R.  G.  S.,  &c.  With  Illus- 
trations. i6mo.  Extra  cloth,  $1.50. 

"  Certainly  no  sporting  book  we  have   ]  finishing  it  to  the  last  line,  or  can  lay  it 
ever  read  is   more   alive  with   spirit  and  |  down  without  unbounded  admiration   for 


dashing  achievements,  and  we  can  guar- 
antee that  no  one  interested  in  such  sub- 
jects at  all  can  begin  to  read  without 


the  versatile  powers  of  its  hero  and  author." 
—  Tfie  Round  Table. 


Cast  Up  by  the  Sea.  A  Book  for  Boys  from 
Eight  Years  Old  to  Eighty.  By  SIR  SAMUEL  WHITE  BAKER, 
M.  A.,  F.  R.  G.  S.,  &c.  With  eleven  Illustrations  by  Huard. 
i6mo.  Cheap  edition,  cloth,  65  cts.  Fine  edition,  tinted  paper, 
extra  cloth,  $1.25. 


"  Since  the  days  when  '  Robinson  Cru- 
soe' first  gave  pleasure  to  the  host  of 
readers,  young  and  old,  which  has  ever 
since  been  multiplying,  we  doubt  if  any 
book  of  that  class  has  presented  a  claim 
equally  strong  to  take  its  place  right 
squarely  up  to  it,  and  alongside.  The 
boys  will  all  run  to  get  it,  and  old  boys, 


too,  will  find  themselves  growing  young 
again  in  the  boyish  admiration  which  it  will 
elicit  even  from  them." — Charleston  Cou- 
rier, 

"The  boy,  of  whatever  age,  who  takes 
up  this  fascinating  book,  will  scarcely  lay 
it  down  till  finis  or  daylight  appears."  — 
Columbus  Journal. 


Bulwer's  Novels.     Library  Edition.     Complete  in 

forty-two  volumes.  Large  type.  I2mo.  Cloth,  $52.50 ;  Library, 
sheep,  $63;  half  calf,  neat,  $105;  half  calf,  gilt  extra,  $115.50. 
Each  novel  sold  separately,  as  below,  in  cloth,  at  $1.25  per  volume. 


The  Caxtons 2  vols. 

My  Novel 4  vols. 

What  will  He  do  with  It?.. 3  vols. 

Devereux 2  vols. 

Last  Days  of  Pompeii...  .2  vols. 

Rienzi 2  vols. 

Leila,  Calderon I  vol. 

The  Last  of  the  Barons . .  2  vols. 

Harold 2  vols. 

Pilgrims  of  the  Rhine..  . .  I  vol. 
Eugene   Aram 2  vols. 

"This  edition  is  in  every  way  a  desirable 
one  for  libraries;  the  volumes  are  of  con- 
venient size,  the  type  large,  the  paper  of  a 
superior  quality,  and  the  binding  neat  and 
substantial." — Philada.  Tnquirer. 

"  Its  convenient  form  makes  it  desirable 
for  use  in  traveling,  as  well  as  for  library 


Zanoni 2  vols. 

Pelham 2  vols. 

The  Disowned 2  vols. 

Paul  Clifford 2  vols. 

Godolphin I  vol. 

Ernest  Maltravers 2  vols. 

Alice 2  vols. 

Night  and  Morning 2  vols. 

Lucretia 2  vols. 

A  Strange  Story 2  vols. 

purposes.  .  .  .  Book-buyers  will  do  well 
to  purchase  this  edition  for  their  libraries." 
— Pittsburg  Gazette. 

"  Every  gentleman  who  desires  to  build 
up  a  complete  library  must  have  this  edi- 
tion of  Bulwer." — Columbus  Journal. 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  S-   CO. 


Tricotrin.      The  Story  of  a  Waif  and  Stray.    By 

OUIDA,  author  of  "  Under  Two  Flags,"  &c.     With  Portrait  of  the 
Author  from  an  Engraving  on  Steel.     I2mo.     Cloth,  $2. 

"  The  story  is  full   of  vivacity  and   of  j       "  The  book  abounds  in  beautiful  senti- 
thrilling  interest '" — Pittsburg  Gazette.  ments,  expressed  in  a  concentrated,  com- 


"  Tricotrin  is  a  work  of  absolute  power, 
some  truth  and  deep  interest." — A".  Y. 
Day  Book. 


pact  style  which  cannot  fail  to  be  attractive, 
and  will  be  read  with  pleasure  in  every 
household." — San  Francisco  Times. 


Granville  de  Vigne;  or,  Held  in  Bondage.  A 
Tale  of  the  Day.  By  OUIDA,  author  of  "  Idalia,"  "  Tricotrin,"  &c. 
12010.  Cloth,  $2. 


"  This  is  one  of  the  most  powerful  and 
spicy  works  of  fiction  which  the   present 


century,  so  prolific  in  light  literature,  has 
produced." 


Strathmorc;  or,  Wrought  by  His  Oivn  Hand. 

Novel.     By  OUIDA,  author  of  "  Granville  de  Vigne,"  &c.     i: 
Cloth,  $2. 


"  It  is  romance  of  the  intense  school, 
but  it  is  written  with  more  power,  fluency 
and  brilliancy  than  the  works  of  Miss 


Braddon  and  Mrs.  Wood,  while  its  scene 
and  characters  are  taken  from  high  life.' 
— Boston  Transcript. 


Chandos.  A  Novel.    By  Ouida,  author  of  "Strath- 

more,"  "Idalia,"  &c.     I2mo.     Cloth,  $2. 
'Those  who  have  read  these  two  last-      what  exaggerated  portraiture  of  scenes  and 


named  brilliant  works  of  fiction  (Granville 
de  Vigne  and  Strathmore)  will  be  sure  to 
read  Cliandos.  It  is  characterized  by  the 
same  gorgeous  coloring  of  style  and  some- 

Idalia.    A  Novel.    By  Ouida,  author  of  "Strath- 

more,"  "  Tricotrin,"  &c.     I2mo.     Cloth,  $2. 

"  It  is  a  story  of  love  and  hatred,  of 
affection  and  jealousy,  of  intrigue  and  de- 
votion. .  .  .  We  think  this  novel  will  at- 
tain a  wide  popularity,  especially  among 


characters,  but  it  is  a  story  of  surpassing 
power  and  interest." — Pittsburg  Evening 
Chronicle. 


those  whose  refined  taste  enables  them  to 
appreciate  and  enjoy  what  is  truly  beau- 
tiful in  literature."  —  Albany  Evening 
Journal. 


Under    Two  Flags.     A  Story  of  the  Household 

and  the  Desert.     By  OUIDA,  author  of  "Tricotrin,"  "Granville  de 
Vigne,"  &c.     I2mo.     Cloth,  $2. 


"  No  one  will  be  able  to  resist  its  fasci- 
nation who  once  begins  its  perusal.'' — 
Philada.  Evening  Bulletin. 

"  This  is  probably  the  most  popular  work 


of  Ouida.  It  is  enough  of  itself  to  estab- 
lish her  fame  as  one  of  the  most  eloquent 
and  graphic  writers  of  fiction  now  living." 
— Chicago  "Journal  of  Commerce. 


Ouidas  Novelettes.  First  Series,  Cecil  Castlc- 
maine's  Gage.  Second  Series,  Randolph  Gordon.  Third  Series 
Beatrice  Boville.  Each  of  these  volumes  contains  a  selection  of 
"OuiDA's"  Popular  Tales  and  Stories.  I2mo.  Cloth,  each  $1.75. 
The  many  works  already  in  print  by  of  pleasing  narratives  and_adventures  alive 


this  versatile  authoress  have  established 
her  reputation  as  a  novelist,  and  these 
short  stories  contrif  iite  largely  to  the  stock 


to  the  memory  of  all  who  are  given  to 
romance  and  fiction.''— A'.  Haven  Jour. 


PUBLICATIONS   OF  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  &=   CO. 


The   Old  Mam'selle's  Secret.     After  the  German 

of  E.  Marlitt,  author  of  "Gold   Elsie,"   "Countess   Gisela,"  &c. 
By  MRS.  A.  L.  WISTER.     Sixth  edition.     121110.     Cloth,  $1.75. 


"A  more  charming  story,  and  one  which, 
having  once  commenced,  it  seemed  more 
difficult  to  leave,  we  have  not  met  with  for 
many  a  day.'' — The  Round  Table. 

"Is  one  of  the  most  intense,  concentrated, 
compact  novels  of  the  day.  .  .  .  And  the 
work  has  the  minute  fidelity  of  the  author 


of  '  The  Initials,'  the  dramatic  unity  of 
Reade,  and  the  graphic  power  of  George 
Elliot." — Columbus  (O.)  Journal. 
"Appears  to  be  one  of  the  most  interest- 
ing stories  that  we  have  had  from  Europe 
for  many  a  day." — Boston  Traveler. 


Gold  Elsie.     From  the   German   of  E.   Marlitt, 

author  of  the  "  Old  Mam'selle's  Secret,"  "  Countess  Gisela,"  &c. 
By  MRS.  A.  L.  WISTER.     Fifth  edition.     I2mo.     Cloth,  $1.75. 


"  A  charming  story  charmingly  told. 
Baltimore  Gazette. 


"A  charming  book.  It  absorbs  your 
attention  from  the  title-page  to  the  end." — 
The  Home  Circle. 

Countess  Gisela.     From  the  German  of  E.  Mur- 

litt,  author  of  "The  Old  Mam'selle's  Secret,"  "Gold  Elsie," 
"  Over  Yonder,"  &c.  By  MRS.  A.  L.  WISTER.  Third  Edition. 
I2mo.  Cloth,  $1.75. 


"  There  is  more  dramatic  power  in  this 
than  in  any  of  the  stories  by  the  same 
author  that  we  have  read." — N.O.  Times. 

"  It  is  a  story  that  arouses  the  interest 


of  the  reader  from  the  outset." — Pittsburg 
Gazette. 

"The   best    work  by  this   author. '•  — 
Philada.  Telegraph. 


Over  Yonder.     From  the  German  of  E.  Marlitt, 

author  of  "  Countess  Gisela,"  "  Gold  Elsie,"  &c.     Third  edition. 
With  a  full-page  Illustration.     8vo.    Paper  cover,  30  cts. 


"'Over  Yonder'  is  a  charming  novel- 
ette. The  admirers  of  '  Old  Mam'selle's 
Secret'  will  give  it  a  glad  reception,  while 
those  who  are  ignorant  of  the  merits  of 


i  pli 

troduction  to  the  works  of  a  gifted  writer." 
— Daily  Sentinel. 


Three  Thousand  Miles  through  the  Rocky  Moun- 

tains.     By  A.  K.  McCLURE.     Illustrated.     I2mo.     Tinted  paper. 
Extra  cloth,  $2. 


"  Those  wishing  to  post  themselves  on 
the  subject  of  that  magnificent  and  ex- 
traordinary Rocky  Mountain  dominion 
should  read  the  Colonel's  book." — New 
York  Tunes. 

"  The  work  makes  one  of  the  most  satis- 
factory itineraries  that  has  been  given  to 
us  from  this  region,  and  must  be  read 
with  both  pleasure  and  profit."- — Philada. 
North  A  merican. 

'•  We  have  never  seen  a  book  of  Western 
travels  which  so  thoroughly  and  completely 
satisfied  us  as  this,  nor  one  written  in  such 


agreeable  and  charming  style." — Bradford 
Reporter. 

"  The  letters  contain  many  incidents  of 
Indian  life  and  adventures  of  travel  which 
impart  novel  charms  to  them." — Chicagt 
Evening  Journal. 

"  The  book  is  full  of  useful  information.' 
— New  York  Independent. 

"  Let  him  who  would  have  some  propel 
conception  of  the  limitless  material  rich- 
ness of  the  Rocky  Mountain  region,  read 
this  book." — Charleston  (S.  C.)  Courier. 


PUB LIC A  TIONS   OF  J.  B.  LIPPTNCOTT  dr»   CO. 


Agnes    Wentworth.      A   Novel.     By  E.  Fox  ton, 

author  of  "  Herman,"  and    "  Sir  Pavon  and  St.  Pavon."     tamo. 
Tinted  paper.     Extra  cloth,  $1.50. 

"  This  is  a  very  interesting  and  well-told  age  of  most  of  the  novels  issuing  from  the 
story.  There  is  a  naturalness  in  the  group- 
ing of  the  characters,  and  a  clearness  of 
definition,  which  make  the  story  pleasant 
and  fascinating.  Phases  of  life  are  also 
presented  in  terse  and  vigorous  words.  .  .  . 
It  is  high-toned  and  much  above  the  aver- 


rg  Gazette. 
"A  novel  which  has  the  merit  of  being 
written  in  graceful  and  clear  style,  while 
it  tells  an  interesting  story." — The  Inde 
pendent. 


Siena.    A  Poem.    By  A.  C.  Swinburne.     \_Repub- 

lished  from  Lippincotfs  Magazine.}     With  Notes.     i6mo.     Tinted 
paper.     Paper  covers,  25  cts. 

"Is  polished  with  great  care,  and  is  by  "One  of  the  most  elaborate  as  wef.  as 

far  the  best  composition  we  can  recall  from  the  most  unexceptionable  of  his  produc- 

Swinburne's  pen,  in  more  than  one  of  its  tions." — N.  Y.  Evening  Post. 
effects." — Philada.  North  American. 

Recollections  of  Persons  and  Places  in  the  West. 
By  H.  M.  BRACKENRIDGE,  a  native  of  the  West ;  Traveler,  Author, 
Jurist.  New  edition,  enlarged.  I2mo.  Toned  paper.  Fine  cloth,  $2. 

"A  very  pleasant  book  it  is,  describing, 
in  an  autobiographical  form,  what  was 
'The  West'  of  this  country  half  a  century 
ago." — Philada.  Press. 

"The  writer  of  these  'Recollections' 
was  born  in  1786,  and  his  book  is  accord- 


ingly  full  of  interesting  facts  and  anec- 
dotes respecting  a  period  of  Western  his- 
tory, which,  when  the  rapid  growth  of  the 
country  is  considered,  may  almost  be  called 
Pre-Adamite." — Boston  Evening  Tran- 
script. 


Infelicia.     A  Volume  of  Poems.     By  Adah  Isaacs 

MENKEN.  i6mo.  Toned  paper.  Neat  cloth,  $i.  Paper  cover, 
75  cts.  With  Portrait  of  Author,  and  Letter  of  Mr.  Charles 
Dickens,  from  a  Steel  Engraving.  Fine  cloth,  beveled  boards, 
gilt  top,  $1.50. 


with  the  living  author's  form,  and  it  serves 
to  drape  the  unhappy  life  with  the  mantle 
of  a  proper  human  charity.  For  herein 
are  visible  the  vague  Teachings  after  and 
reminiscences  of  higher  things." — Cin- 
cinnati Evening  Chronicle. 


"  Some  of  the  poems  are  forcible,  others 
are  graceful  and  tender,  but  all  are  per- 
vaded by  a  spirit  of  sadness." — Washing- 
ton Evening'  Star. 

"The  volume  :s  interesting,  as  reveal- 
ing a  something  that  lay  beyond  the  vul- 
gar eyes  that  took  the  liberty  of  license 

Dallas  Galbraith,    A  Novel.     By  Mrs.  R.  Hard- 

ING   DAVIS,   author   of    "Waiting  for  the   Verdict,"   "Margaret 
Howth,"  "  Life  in  the  Iron  Mills,"  &c.     8vo.     Fine  cloth,  $2. 


"  One  of  the  best  novels  ever  written  for 
an  American  magazine." — Philada.  Morn- 
ing Post.  ^ 

"The  story  is  most  happily  written  in 
al!  respects." — The  North  American. 

"As  a  specimen  of  her  wonderful  in- 
tensity and  passionate  sympathies,  this 
gustained  and  wholly  noble  romance  is 


equal  or  superior  to  any  previous  achieve 
ment." — Philada.  Evening  Bulletin. 

"  We  therefore  seize  the  opportunity  to 
say  that  this  is  a  story  of  unusual  power, 
opening  so  as  to  awaken  interest,  and 
maintaining  the  interest  to  the  end." — 
The  National  Baptist. 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  &>   CO. 


Beatrice.      A    Poem.       By   Hon.    Roden    Noel. 

Square  i6mo.     Tinted  paper.     Extra  cloth,  gilt  top,  jj>i. 


"  It  is  impossible  to  read  the  poem 
through  without  being  powerfully  moved. 
There  are  passages  in  it  which  for  in- 
tensity and  tenderness,  clear  and  vivid 
vision,  spontaneous  and  delicate  sympathy, 
may  be  compared  with  the  best  efforts  of 
our  best  living  writers." — London  Spec- 
tator. 


"  Mr.  Noel  has  a  fruitful  imagination, 
and  such  a  thorough  command  of  language 
as  to  link  the  heart  and  tongue  in  that 
union  from  which  only  true  poesy  is  born." 
— N.  O.  Times. 

"  Mr.  Noel  has  no  rival.  He  sings  with 
fairy-like  and  subtle  power."  —  London 
A  thenteum. 


Breaking  a    Butterfly;    or,    Blanche    Eller site's 

Ending.  A  Novel.  By  the  author  of  "  Guy  Livingstone,"  &c. 
Author's  Edition.  With  Illustrations.  I2mo.  Extra  cloth,  $1.50. 
Paper  cover,  50  cts. 


"  It  is  a  charming  story  of  English  life, 
and  marked  by  the  well-known  character- 
istics of  the  author's  style,  in  which  the 
gorgeous  descriptions  of  manhood  are  pre- 
dominant."— Buffalo  Express. 

"  It  is  intensely  interesting,  full  of  life 
and  spirit,  and  throughout  is  written  in  the 


gifted  author's  most  captivating  vein." — 
Philada.  Age. 

"  It  is  a  story  which  every  one  will  find 
interesting  ;  and  it  is  written  with  an  easy 
grace  indicative  of  good  taste  and  large  ex- 
perience."— Albany  Journal. 


The   Voice   in    Singing1.     From    the    German    of 

Emma   Seller.      Third   edition.      I2mo.      Tinted   paper.      Extra 
cloth,  $1.50. 


<;We  would  earnestly  advise  all  inter- 
ested in  any  way  in  the  vocal  organs  to 
read  and  thoroughly  digest  this  remarkable 
work." — -Boston  Musical  Times. 

"  It  is  meeting  with  the  favor  of  all  our 
authorities,  and  is  a  very  valuable  work. 
To  any  one  engaged  in  teaching  cultivation 
of  the  voice,  or  making  singing  a  study,  it 
will  prove  an  efficient  assistant. " — Loomis'1 
Musical  Journal. 


"  This  remarkable  book  is  of  special 
interest  to  teachers  and  scholars  of  vocal 
music.  It  is,  however,  of  value  to  that 
much  larger  number  of  persons  who  love 
music  for  its  own  sake.  Here,  almost  for 
the  first  time  in  English,  and  certainly  for 
the  first  lime  in  an  American  book,  we 
have  a  satisfactory  explanation  of  the  phy- 
siology and  aesthetics  of  the  art  divine.'' — 
Philada.  North  American. 


Abraham    Page,    Esq.       Life    and    Opinions    of 

Abraham  Page,  Esq.     I2rao.     Tinted  paper.     Fine  cloth,  $1.50. 

"  It  is  really  refreshing,  in  these  days  of  j   of  a  gentleman,  and  the  grace  and  culture 
sensational  stuff,  to  fall  upon  a  book  like   j   of  a  scholar." — Baltimore  Leader. 
this,  written  with  the  easy,  well-bred  air  , 

What  I  Know  about  Ben  Eccles.    A  Novel.     By 

ABRAHAM  PAGE,  author  of  "The  Life  and  Opinions  of  Abraham 
Page,  Esq."     I2mo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 


"  Quite  a  pathetic  story,  which,  without      sational,  will  enchain  the  attention  to  the 
being  at  all  of  the  kind  denominated  sen-      very  close." — Pittsburg  Ev.  Journal. 


